


Untold Tales of the Commonwealth

by Lord Commander (Kosho)



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Accidental Plot, Accidental Sex, Alternate Canon, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blow Jobs, Danse is not a Scribe, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Don't Examine This Too Closely, Dubious Consent, F/M, Hand Jobs, Handcuffs, I Ship It, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Minor Injuries, Mods are involved, Multiple Pairings, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Not Actually A Doctor, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Polyamorous Character, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rough Sex, Shameless Smut, Sleep, Sleeping Together, Sleepy Sex, Smut, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, This is just an excuse to write a lot of pairings for pure smut, chems
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-21 08:59:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 46,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9540686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kosho/pseuds/Lord%20Commander
Summary: Kareena Dumortier was scarcely out of high school when the bombs fell, the presumed Sole Survivor of her family. She has plenty to keep her busy in the Commonwealth, good looking company aside.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Note: To make this work, this goes on the idea that Nate and Nora both died in the Vault, and that they had two children instead of just Shaun. Had to work it this way so the plot still somewhat goes normally to get to the other pairings. Also, for those who didn't know, you can actually date everyone all at once, I tested it for science. This is kind of based around that too. Might have had a chance at being strictly SSxSturges, except that Danse is just...unf.Pairings:Sturges x Sole Survivor: (1) (2)Paladin Danse x Sole Survivor: (5) (7)(13)Deacon x Sole Survivor: (20)Arthur Maxson x Sole Survivor: (23)Plotty: (3)(4)(6)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(21)(22)Toying with adding more pairings, including MacCready, Deacon and Hancock, not sure yet.





	1. I Can't Reach This Little Spot

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I was going to do an actual fic, but then I decided it's just going to be a collection of short stories. Lots of smut planned, maybe a little plot here and there.

Well, it didn’t take long for Sanctuary Hills to no longer be just her domain. Codsworth had been there from the beginning, sure, then the arrival of Dogmeat. The short trek to Concord had resulted in even more people, and she found herself thankful that she had the foresight to work on making the desolate area liveable. It had been for her comfort, naturally, but it didn’t take much more effort to make the adjustments needed for the new arrivals. She showed them where the vault she came out of was, noting it still had functional restrooms in pristine condition, complete with hot showers, something of a luxury in this utter wasteland she had awoken to. 

 

She imagined it might happen someday, and yet, it all happened much faster than she expected, the day someone caught her naked as the day she was born. Part of her was naturally curious, as yet, in her brief travels, she had seen no one who looked even remotely like her. For the time, she stood out already, her hair worn in long, thick braids, black with pink highlights, and the jewelry, the  _ jewelry _ that drove her parents insane. In her defense, she  _ asked _ , and only went out and did it anyway when she met stern rejection. The result was several piercings, which, even now, 200+ years removed from that time, she still loved. A simple stud in her nose, a small bar through her lip and the tongue piece that she flashed back then to tease the brainless jocks she absolutely didn’t find remotely to her taste. 

 

“Sorry, miss. I didn’t realize anyone was in here…” a sheepish voice called. 

 

_ Sturges _ . At least God hadn’t left the Commonwealth entirely for it to be him. Kareena had been very careful in hiding her admittedly intense crush on the man, even now, she guessed he had no idea. She turned to face him, her lips pulling into an almost cocky grin, sweeping her hair back. He swallowed hard, his face flushed deep red up to his ears, stock still like he meant to turn away but simply  _ couldn’t _ . She didn’t blame him in the least, she had gone her whole life without giving in, and 200 years was long enough. She had seen the company he kept, and his options were very much nonexistent. Still, it looked like he was waiting for an invitation, nice of him. 

 

“Y’know, the water’s plenty hot, and there’s plenty of room. Why not join me? If you’re nice, I’ll even wash your back.” she teased. 

 

His face said he wasn’t quite sure what to make of the offer, but if the growing bulge in his overalls was an indication, he was more than a little interested. 

 

“I should go…” he began, his eyes slowly roving lower, swallowing again. 

 

“You sure? You don’t have to…” she repeated, biting her lip lightly. 

 

Sturges diverted his gaze, pulling off his gloves. Even as he was still debating, his clothes kept falling. He hadn’t thought her the type who might take interest in him, but now that her cards were on the table, he wasn’t prepared to refuse her offer. There wasn’t exactly a plethora of women around, and even if there had been, she was miles past any possible competition. He stepped in behind her, drawing the curtain, just in case someone else wandered in. 

 

“You sure you wouldn’t rather I --” he began. 

Kareena turned to face him, her thigh brushing against him, her mouth finding his easily. He pressed her against the wall, his hand holding the back of her neck. His fingertips were rough, even though she couldn’t recall him ever working without his gloves. His tongue swept her lower lip before delving in, hesitating for a moment when his tongue bumped her ring.  Pulling back curiously, she stuck her tongue out to show him, he looked closer for a moment, distracted by just how close she was. 

 

“This is alright, yeah?” he asked, almost disbelieving. 

 

She nodded, and that was it. He found her mouth once more, his touch shifting, brushing his thumb against her nipple, his other hand falling between her thighs. Her skin broke out in goosebumps, pressing against his hand eagerly. It didn’t take long for her to confirm her preconception that as a handyman, he had to be good with his hands. She swept her fingers lightly over his shaft, feeling the way it pulsed at her touch. God, her lips were molten lust, even muffled, the moan trapped in her throat was like a shockwave to his senses. He could feel her grip his fingers, felt the warmth of her release, her legs quivering, leaning against him for support. With a twist of his hand, he freed himself from her, surprised just how wet she felt, little to do with the water. He’d never admit it to her, but he hadn’t been able to get her off his mind since she sauntered into the Museum like she owned the place, raiders be damned, not a single bullet wasted. She made no point of hiding that she was fresh from a Vault, the telltale suit long abandoned for a tight set of leathers that did little to hide the curves she was packing. He broke the kiss, swiping his tongue against his fingers, wanting to taste her, but too impatient for more. 

 

Her face turned an interesting shade of crimson, her breath levelling out again. His head dipped down, mouthing her stiff nipple, pulling the most sinful whimper from her when he nipped at it. He had a million ideas for this part, settling on the one he most desired at that particular time. He turned her around, tugging at her hips, drawing her back towards him, her hands firmly planted on the slippery wall. He bit at the back of her neck urgently, feeling the way she spread around his thick length, inching into her slowly. She was tight, more than he had imagined, almost resistant to his entry despite how slick and willing she was. He groaned, tightening his grip on her, pulling her back to meet him, whining sharply when he managed to slip in. He waited a bit for her to adjust to him, her hips swaying side to side trying to accommodate him. He nibbled her earlobe, his voice deep, husky, tainted with arousal. 

 

“God, girl...you’re practically burnin’ up inside…” he panted against her ear. 

 

He thrust against her harder, watching the way her breasts slid against the wall of the shower, pressed tightly to it like it was the last thing keeping her from falling over. Sturges let go of her right hip, snaking between her legs, rubbing her swollen clit in fast circles, indulging in the way her breath hitched, moaning louder for him, practically sobbing with pleasure. 

 

“Sturges, I...I’m gonna…!” she cried out urgently, her words failing. 

 

Her thighs trembled, clenched around him tighter, warm and slick around his cock, picking up the pace. She sucked her lower lip between her teeth, biting firmly enough to leave marks, forcing herself back against him, trying to spur him on despite her overwhelmed senses, eyes squeezed tightly shut. It was too much, the sight of her soaked form shivering under him, the way she practically danced against him, the sound of her crying out his name, all things that burned into his mind, things he would certainly remember, and likely think about when there was a lull in his duties, while she was off saving the Commonwealth and seeing to the shit Preston hassled her with, things he could definitely do himself. 

 

He leaned against her, keeping her to him, nearly slamming against her now, hard enough to jolt her with every movement, her breasts jumping deliciously. He bent again, biting the curve of her shoulder to muffle his harsh groans, sucking on the mark left on her skin. He slowed to a halt, shuddering when the shocks raced through his spine, pulsing tightly in the pit of his stomach, hitting him hard. He took a deep breath, spilling into her, his chest heaving. Sturges stroked the ridges of her hips delicately, pulling free from her after a few moments, thick beads rolling down her thighs when he did. God it felt like all the blood had left his brain, leaving him dizzy with his release. Braced against the side of the shower, he huffed a sigh, licking his lips slowly until she pressed against his back, her still hard nipples poking into him. Her lips curved into a full, contented smile, fingers trailing along his chest. 

 

“I did say I’d wash your back, didn’t I?” she purred. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Kareena stretched lazily in her bed. It wasn’t often these days that her business as General didn’t take her all across the blasted map. In her downtime, she had slowly and steadily built up a nice retreat for herself, bare bones, to be sure. Just a bed, some paintings, and scatterings of furniture. Three small levels of solitude, complete with a lock that had taken a minor miracle to find. Given how precious her free time was, she hadn’t intended to give out any of the keys she had managed to procure, and yet she had. Just the one. She turned over, face buried in the pillow, reaching back to adjust her panties from riding up. Comfort in her book had come to mean ‘take off every scrap of armor, unhook the goddamned bra and turn off the Pip-boy for a few hours. From the dark of the second level, she could hear the door opening, then the heavy thunk of the lock. The sound of boots thudded on the steps, Sturges collapsing into the chair by the bed with a sigh of relief. 

 

“Busy day?” she asked, her words muffled in the pillow. 

 

“Naw...I hate to complain about keeping busy around you. Radstorm kicked up, so I had to knock off for now, that’s all.” he sighed. He kneaded his brow, lifting his head after a moment. 

 

“Want to stretch out? I can shimmy over a bit?” she asked. 

 

He was prepared to refuse, he didn’t want to impose on her further. She was gracious enough to share her, for lack of a better word  _ sanctuary _ with him and that felt like asking enough already. Lumpy as it was, he couldn’t deny it  _ did _ look damn inviting though. Moving to stand, he stared down at his grease-laden clothes, frowning a bit. Thinking it over for a moment, he set about to shedding his clothes, down to his briefs. He sat on the edge of the bed before falling back next to her, groaning gratefully. 

 

“So, I mean I know you’re probably done on the subject, but you’re  _ really _ over 200? I saw the Vault myself, but I still can’t believe it.” he admitted. 

 

Raising her head a bit, her eyes flitted about, tapping her fingers slowly as if she were counting. “‘Bout 228, actually. Only got into the Vault in the first place because of my dad. Military type, war vet.” 

 

“That where you learned to shoot like that?” he wondered. 

 

“You know it. Learned early on to handle one. Dad said it wasn’t as safe as we were told, took me out for target practice on his days off. Came in real handy when I got out of the fridge. Can’t swing a bat or throw a punch to save my life, but I can take a clip and put one in the head of twelve raiders without missing.” she said with a triumphant hum. 

 

“No need to remind me, I saw what you can do. Y’know…” he stopped, like he was unsure if he should carry on. His palm came to rest on her hip, drawing her closer to him. “Gotta say, you’re my type of woman.” 

 

Kareena laughed at that, turning in his grip, her back pressed to his chest. He buried his face in her hair, falling silent, plenty content to just lay there with her like that forever, if the world would let him. 

“You’re just saying that ‘cause I know my way around a workbench.” she teased. 

 

He dipped his hand under her panties, fingertips gliding against her slowly. She pressed back slowly, biting the pillow. 

 

“That too…” he said. “It’s more than that though, the way you were able to stroll out from the past and just get right to work. That robot said he told you there were people in Concord, and that you just  _ left _ , came right to us, managed to get us out like it was nothing. I dunno, I guess...most people would have had trouble wrapping their minds around everything. Pretty sure there weren’t Deathclaws back in your time. You didn’t waste any time filling it with holes. That shit’s impressive,  _ you’re _ impressive.” 

 

“ _ Please _ . I’m not worth all that praise.” she hummed. 

 

Drawing his hand back, he tugged her panties down, feeling her lift and roll to help get them off. Sturges slid further down the bed, aggravating his growing arousal. He lifted her legs, draping them over his shoulders, his eyes fixed on hers. 

 

“Keep tellin’ yourself that darlin’.” he mumbled. 

 

She felt his tongue press against her, a flurry of lips and tongue and heat, different from anything he had made her feel. Kareena reached down, scraping his scalp lightly, tugging his hair with a soft whine, his fingers sliding in to probe her deeply. Not much was private around here anymore, but thankfully they had managed to keep their off-hours activities under wraps, in part thanks to Sturges. He was a genius when it came to tinkering, and he had managed to rig up very basic soundproofing around her room, which, while it probably wouldn’t stand to power armor or heavy guns, it could certainly hold up to the creaking springs and absolutely any sounds either of them could make. Her head felt heavy, dropped back against the pillow, spots swimming in her vision. She pulled his hair harder, prompting a throaty chuckle from him. It was almost embarrassing how quickly he could bring her this close, and even more so considering he was  _ right there _ , she couldn’t just -- but then, she couldn’t hold it in very well either…

 

Sturges patted her hip, unwilling to stop long enough to tell her it was fine to let go. He wanted it, one simple way he could help relieve the stress that piled up on her slim shoulders day by day, but it was also part selfish desire, to know just what she tasted like. He was, at least for now, the only one who got the privilege to see her squirm like this, to feel her the way he got to. He could feel her clench his fingers tightly, felt her release in his hand, licking up what he could before pulling back, sweeping his digits clean, to her great embarrassment. He let her down gently, peeling off his briefs in record time, equal parts glad he wore them and not. Leaning over her, she looped her arms around his neck, pulling him in, her lips hot on his, teeth scraping and tugging on his lower lip, her legs locking around his waist. 

 

His hand slid into her hair, falling in loose waves, a rare sight. She felt him strain against her, slowly slipping into her, his left hand curled around her slender waist, crawling up and down her spine, barely grazing the dimples on her lower back, knowing she was ticklish there, and just how she reacted to it. Her hips jerked hard, driving him in deeper, mewling against his mouth, her sounds swallowed away. Her nails scraped at his nape, scratching along his shoulders with need. It stung, but he wouldn’t have it any other way, to be absent of the marks she left on him said he wasn’t doing good enough, and really, it was like a secret shared between them, something only he knew was there, and she could see. She loosened her grasp on him, her palms flattening on the headboard, grinding down against him eagerly. He broke the kiss, mouth pressed to her ear, panting warmly into it, slowing down on purpose. 

 

“Come on girl, let me hear you purr…” he growled. 

 

He nipped at her throat then, her head tipped back, baring it all to him. Her tongue swept her swollen lips, huffing out a heavy breath, gasping, crying out for more, all but begging him to stop teasing, his name rolling so easily off her tongue. Her legs squeezed around him tighter, spurring him on, picking up the pace once more. His hands wandered down to her hips, all but pulling her down on him harder, feeling the way she throbbed around him. Already getting close again, he was mildly surprised at how easy it was to read her body. He knew how she liked it and what it took to get her where she wanted to be, but the mystery wasn’t solved yet, he tried to push it just a little further every time, trying to flesh out what she liked, and what didn’t work so well for her. 

 

Kareena was confusing, in the sense that she looked like she stepped right on out of a pre-war billboard, a lovely and charming woman, but not quite the wilting flower he imagined must have been prolific in her time. No, this was a lady who knew her way around a gun, repaired much of an old settlement on her own, with scrap and a meager selection of tools, and was decidedly not afraid to get dirty. Damned if she didn’t look like a fucking goddess doing it to. Her desperate whimpering drew his attention back to her, watching her let go of her hold on the headboard, clawing at his chest, her grip on his waist weakening a bit. His hands snapped back, raising her legs carefully, leaning into her firmly, almost bent in half at the waist, her eyes widened in surprise. This much was improvised, but the look alone was well worth it, pushing just a little deeper, wrapping his cock a little tighter. He stole a quick kiss, an impish grin on his face, shooting her a wink. He spoke against her lips, his words hummed against her mouth, his face flushed. 

 

“Hold still a sec…” he told her. 

 

That was his way of telling her he wasn’t planning on holding back anymore, not so much a specific instruction, it was strangely charming too. Of course that took a little explanation the first time he said it to her, when she actually  _ did _ stop.  _ “No, no, no babe, keep going, I’m gonna c--”  _

 

She lifted to him as best as she could like this, reaching for his shoulders for support. His mouth went for her neck, biting and sucking to muffle the growling groan threatening to escape, a shudder racing down his spine, slowing to a halt, hips pressed tightly to hers, his eyelids fluttering shut when he came. He let up on her neck, eager for a minute to rest up, instead freeing himself from her, carefully letting her down, his hand caressing her stomach. He again stretched out next to her, drawing her against him, holding her loosely about the waist, planting a light kiss on her nape. 

 

“I dunno why you put up with me like this, girl.” he sighed. 

 

Kareena relaxed in his hold, her head targeting the pillow once more. “Who do you think I am?  _ Put up with you? _ Do I seem like the kind of girl who puts up with anything? I enjoy your company, and let’s face it, no one helps me unwind the way you can.” 

 

“Not that I don’t appreciate havin’ you all to myself, but even I’m not fool enough to think there’s not someone else out there who could do what I do. If...y’know, someone else catches your fancy, I’m not gonna stand in your way.” he sighed. “Course I’ll be around, I ain’t goin’ anywhere.” 

 

“That’s a problem for another day. I’ve got plenty of those already, it’s not my priority.” she told him. 

 

“So what  _ is _ your priority then?” he wondered. 

 

Her tongue poked out the way it did when she was about to give a less than serious answer, her shoulders hunching up and falling easily. 

 

“Noticed a few of the turrets are acting up, and of course, I wanted to mod up my power armor before I set out again. Got a few leads to look into out in Goodneighbor, and word is there’s raiders up that way, I don’t want to be caught in less than the best I can manage.” she said. 

 

He nipped at her ear, squeezing her tighter for a moment. “I could be pressed to help out with that, if the reward is right…” 

 

Sturges knew very well she could do it herself, she didn’t need his help. He also knew she liked their little games, and wouldn’t turn it down if it gave them an excuse to get some time away from the others for a bit. 

 

“Mm...I think I can come up with something worth your time.” she said, feigning uncertainty. 

 

He knew she already guessed he wasn’t a picky man. Hell, it didn’t even have to come with any degree of nudity. She was already more thoughtful than he expected of her, bringing him whatever pre-war books she could find that might interest him, snacks that were only  _ slightly _ radiated, and the occasional comic book or parts he might need. Still, the naughty things were good too, and she knew just how to push his buttons. 

 

“Weather pending, we’ll get out there in the morning and make some adjustments then. I’ll take my payment before you leave though. Goodneighbor’s way out there, won’t be seeing you for awhile. Gotta have something to keep my mind busy while you’re gone.” he laughed. 

 

“Christ, Sturges, I didn’t realize that I created a beast when I invited you in the shower with me.” she teased. 

 

“I didn’t either, sweetness. Still, I think I’m the one struggling to keep up with you, not the other way around.” he said. 

 

“If that’s true, then what’s poking my ass?” she asked jokingly. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit, I tripped over a little bit of plot. Sorry for interrupting the regularly scheduled smut. I plan to add in more pairings eventually, so I had to do a thing to make those happen. Carry on.

Heavy rain put a delay on her plans, and in a sense, his. There would be no working on anything until the rain let up. Sturges paced around the community house, wondering where she had gotten off to. Usually by now, she had shown up to at least greet everyone before disappearing to see to whatever was on the schedule for the day. Preston came in from making his rounds, undeterred by the rain, puddles dripping from his coat, to which Marcy was quick to scold him. The rug in the main room wasn’t exactly caravaggio, but it was better than could be expected. Preston sighed, backing off at her lecturing, Sturges calling his attention for a moment, speaking quietly. 

 

“Where’s the General?” he asked curiously, using her formal title as he chose to when he was in the presence of others. 

 

He directed his thumb towards the vault with a shrug. “Said she was going to look into something up there. I didn’t press for details. Seemed important.” 

 

Sturges nodded at that. “I’ll go check on her, make sure everything’s alright.” 

 

“Good idea, she looked a little upset when she left…” he admitted. 

 

Kareena was rarely ever upset, hardly anything got to her, she had a smile for everyone who wasn’t actively trying to kill her. She had spent a fair bit of time poring over the terminals and whatever records she could sniff out, though he chose not to ask her about it. If she wanted anyone to know what she was doing, she would tell them, at least that was what they had all settled on apparently. Sturges made the short trip to the vault, prodding the elevator into action before moving to stand on the platform, waiting impatiently as it made its slow descent. He stepped off, first checking the showers, though he doubted she’d be there. She wasn’t, of course, but he could hear sounds not far off. He found her leaning over a terminal in frustration, papers strewn about the desk, fisting her hair. 

 

He knocked on the wall, announcing his presence so he didn’t surprise her. She must have been tense, her palms smacking against the desk, her words growled out with all the pleasantness of a wild mongrel. 

 

“ _Damn it, Preston, I said I’ll come down when I’m done!”_ she hissed. 

 

“Wrong guy, sweetness.” he sighed. 

 

She swept her hair back, glancing over her shoulder, offering a weak smile. “Sorry ‘bout that, Sturges. Did you need something?” 

 

He crossed the room, taking a seat next to her, lightly stroking her hair. “Just checking on you. Can I help?” 

 

Kareena stared down at the scattered papers, her eyes almost glassy as though it was hard to focus. “I don’t know. I was trying to see if I’ve missed anything. I could probably get away with asking Piper or Nick to look into it further, but I don’t want to show up with nothing of use…” 

Sturges raised an eyebrow, his hand hovering over a paper, silently asking her permission. If she didn’t want him in her business, he was more than willing to back off. She shrugged a single shoulder and he picked it up. She had circled a few things, scrawled hasty notes in the margins, enough to get a basic idea of why she had come here searching even after she had long picked the rooms clean. Three names jumped out at him, Nate, Nora and Shaun. The last name was underlined, circled, and next to it, a single word: Alive?

 

He scratched at his scalp, setting it down. “I’m awful curious now. If you don’t want to talk about, that’s alright, but...I’m here, and I’m real good at keeping my mouth shut if that counts for anything.” 

 

It hadn’t left her thoughts, ever. At first though, it was just a hell of a lot easier to push it to the back of her mind and pick up the mantle of the Minutemen’s General. The lull in duties, thanks to the weather had left her with just enough free time to warrant digging deeper. Kareena gathered up the papers, placing them carefully in the top desk drawer, rising from her seat, waving him to follow. He decided not to ask too many questions, the look on her face not one that invited too much interruption. She was focused, but there was more to it, things he hadn’t really seen from her before. She paused to enter something into the computer, unlocking a door that had seemingly been blocked off the whole time he had been around. Most assumed it was just a malfunction, but it was clear now that she had blocked it off on purpose. Like a safe kept people out of things deemed valuable, she was locking away the things she wanted to keep to herself. 

 

She wandered through the cold room, towards the end, facing one way, then the other, her hand perched thoughtfully under her chin. Sturges inclined towards one chamber first, looking at the perfectly preserved woman slumped in the seat. He could see no obvious marks, though he noticed the piping had ruptured. A malfunction in the system that left her frozen, dead in time. Turning around, he wiped the frost from the glass, a man sunk in his seat, also preserved, but it was no malfunction that killed him, a bullet wound in his chest. Someone had shot him, though it was impossible to tell by looking  _ when _ it happened. Sighing to herself, she kneaded the back of her neck nervously. 

 

“Well, consider yourself lucky, I guess. You’re the only one from this time I’ve ever taken to meet my parents.” she muttered. 

 

She never spoke much on the issue, letting the issue rest after a short ‘they’re both dead’. He had guessed they died before the war, but that wasn’t quite right after all. He bit the inside of his lip, second guessing whether or not he should ask the obvious question on his mind. She knew very well she could tell him to go to hell if she didn’t want to talk about something. With that in mind, he decided just to go for it. 

 

“Nate, and Nora I’m guessing. That just leaves Shaun, I’m not entirely sure how that one plays into all this.” he said. 

 

She reached into her back pocket, pulling out a holotape, setting it in place in her pip-boy. There were sounds of a struggle, talk of a back-up that made no sense, and then the sound of a gun going off. That was surely the moment whoever the voices belonged to killed her father, but then that made  _ her _ the backup, whatever that meant. When the tape crackled, she plucked it back out, pocketing it. 

 

“Shaun was...is, I suppose...my little brother. At first I assumed he was dead too, thought maybe I just couldn’t see him in mom’s arms, and I didn’t really want to open it up and look. I guess I was afraid of what I’d see. I didn’t even see the holo-tape the first few times I was here. I found it and sat on it for a few days, but when I finally decided I had to know what was on it...I figured it was at least possible he’s still out there.” she explained. 

 

“I remember you went to Diamond City.” he said with a nod. 

 

“Piper helped me track down Nick, and we managed to piece together enough leads to track down the man we think was responsible, but when we scoured his place, we couldn’t find anything. I figured I’d come back up here since I can’t work on anything in this weather, see if maybe I missed something.” she told him. 

 

He didn’t miss the way she shivered, her lips pale, no longer the vibrant pink. He hadn’t really noticed just  _ how _ cold it was in here. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her close to his chest to help her warm up, leading her out of the room. She pulled away long enough to lock it back up before curling back into his embrace, her fingers clenching his shirt like she was trying to absorb his warmth. Sturges lightly kissed the top of her head, at a loss for what to say, though he tried. 

 

“Why not put off goin’ to Goodneighbor for a bit. Go back to that place. Maybe with a clear head, you might see somethin’ you missed before?” he said, his tone one of realization that it probably wasn’t helpful. 

 

Admittedly, she had been hasty in her search for answers. The man she was trying to hunt was supposed to be good, and if he was half as decent as Valentine had indicated, he was careful enough to cover his tracks, there had to be something she overlooked. Still, between the Brotherhood of Steel and helping the Minutemen, she was already spread thin. Preston could handle things for a little while, surely, but Danse was a strict man. Military, in a sense, and he didn’t tolerate excuses. Whatever she settled on, it had to be quick, but thorough, even if it meant risking the Paladin’s wrath. 

 

“That’s not a bad idea. Better than kickin’ myself for not doing everything I could.” she said. “I’m just not quite sure I’m ready for what the answer is, good or bad.” 

 

He stroked her back in slow circles, directing her to look at him. Offering a smile and a wink, he managed to prompt a faint trace of a smile from her. 

 

“Whatever happens, whether or not you go, whatever you find, I’ll be right here for ya. ‘N you can kick and scream, cry, curse me out, throw shit at me, whatever you need.” he said. 

 

Sturges was always as good as his word, and something about that sentiment cemented it in her mind. With him encouraging her, it felt like a fire had been lit in her belly again. She had a lot of resources now, and if she used everything at her disposal, she could surely solve the mystery and put an end to that chapter of her life. 


	4. I'm No Scribe, Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitting another wall in her search, Brotherhood business calls Kareena away. Unfortunately, a lapse in judgment means a delay in their mission to tend to injuries. Danse learns two things: Kareena is a total lightweight, and a bit of a packrat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is somewhere after Kellogg, but before Blind Betrayal.

The mission to figure out how to get into the Institute had to be put off a little longer. Thanks entirely to being reassigned, she had been on the road with Danse for far longer than she intended to be away, going on two weeks already. The Paladin shook his head, frustration etched into his face. 

 

“I can’t look at the damage if you don’t show me where you got hit, Knight.” he sighed.

 

His formality was part of the problem. If he would at least  _ try _ to be a little less strict about it, she wouldn’t have an issue with it. She folded her arms, wincing with a stifled whimper at the pain it sent shocking through her. 

 

“Let me ask you one simple question first, Danse.” she said, purposely dropping his title. “What’s my name?” 

 

His brows furrowed with concern, leaning closer to examine her head, though she ducked away from him. “I don’t have a head injury,  _ I didn’t forget my own name.”  _

 

Danse made an attempt to reach for her holo-tags, but she smacked his hand away. “That’s cheating. You don’t know it, do you?” 

 

His shoulders sagged slightly, though his power armor hid much of it. “I apologize, it’s not exactly protocol…” 

 

“That’s an excuse. I’ve heard you address Elder Maxson by  _ his _ name. What’s the difference?” she argued. 

 

Kareena had never found the nerve to talk back to him. For as sternly as he treated her, he had proven he could be open, was caring and she had more than a little respect for him. Partly because it was ingrained in her that soldiers deserved it, partly because he had never misled her. Somewhere between the desire to go back to Sanctuary for a much needed break, and forging ahead with trying to solve the problem of getting into the Institute, and now the shrapnel injuries she had taken, she had lost her reserves of patience.

 

“Look, I said I was sorry. If it means that much to you, tell me. Tell me, and I swear at least for tonight, I’ll use it.” he relented. 

 

She sunk to the dilapidated couch, trying to relieve some of the pain she felt. The irritation on her features softened some, though not completely. “It’s Kareena, Kareena Dumortier. I’m no stranger to formality, my father was a war vet, I know the drill, but you already have all that armor keeping you from getting close to me, I don’t want you to keep pulling rank on me too.” 

 

“Kareena…” he mumbled to himself, like he was testing it out, or perhaps just trying to imprint it on his memory so he wouldn’t forget. “Very well. Now if that was all, I’m sure you’re in pain, this will go a lot smoother if you would just show me so I can deal with it before infection sets in. I may not be a scribe, but I know enough to take care of it.” 

 

“You’re seriously not getting out of that armor? Christ, Danse, the needle must be the size of a sword for you to work with it.” she griped. 

 

He rolled his eyes, trying hard to be patient, though it was becoming a challenge. He was slow to step out, but he ultimately did, and for a moment, she wished he hadn’t. She had found it far easier to imagine that he was made of power armor than to picture what he must look like under it. She figured he would be a bit scrawny thanks to never being seen outside of it. On the contrary, even with the suit in the way, she could see just how broad he was. When did he find time to work out? 

 

“Now, if there are no more complaints,  _ my lady _ .” he said, a bite of sarcasm to it.

 

Kareena turned her back to him, her weight on her right leg since the left hurt. She managed to free the first few clasps on the leather, before she realized that it was the tightness of it that was keeping her from feeling the pain, collapsing to the couch again, instead unbuttoning her pants, managing to get them past her hips before it again hurt too much. The sound of things being tossed called her focus over her shoulder. Danse appeared to be looked for something, returning when he found it, dusting off the dark bottle. He looked up, his face flushing slightly. He thrust it into her hand, deciding against commenting. 

 

“Drink that. I don’t usually approve of drinking during a mission, but it should dull the pain enough to be tolerable.” he grunted. 

 

She shook her head, handing it back. “I’m not exactly old enough to drink.” 

 

“Kni-- Kareena, your records say you’re over 200, if that isn’t legal, you never will be.” he pointed out. 

 

Reminded of that fact, she was quick to open it, tipping it back, taking a long drink despite the sting at the back of her throat. Setting it down, she shifted to lay down, unable to meet his gaze. “I can’t finish the rest. Hate to tell ya, doc, but you’ll have to help.” 

 

Shaking his head, he knelt by the couch, unable to look her in the eye. His hands trembled nervously as he worked to free the last few clasps, the leather falling open. He couldn’t avoid looking her over, part of what it took to see the damage, a fairly shallow gash by her ribs, just under her-- he swallowed nervously, tugging at the collar of his suit, turning like he was about to spring up. He hadn’t exactly expected her to not have a bra on, at least. Then again, it wasn’t as though the Brotherhood gave out regulation undergarments with the uniform...

 

“Just a moment. It’s pretty hot in here, I’ll go open a window or something…” he muttered. 

 

She grasped his wrist loosely, laughing quietly. “There are no windows, they’re all busted, remember? Acting like that, I might get the impression you’re  _ embarrassed.”  _

 

He grimaced at the teasing, but pushed his desire to get up and out of the situation away. He tried valiantly to think of her as just another soldier, but it was difficult. Made all the worse by the fact that she needed his help. Her recovery would only take longer if he took too long and infection set in. He glared with determination, offering a faint apology, his hand sweeping under her hips, resting right on her ass, lifting her enough to tug her pants off. Her leg was lined in small cuts, a few deeper ones that would need to be stitched up, and one small piece of metal sticking out. Shit, it wasn’t big, but she’d still feel it when it came out. He looked to her face, her freckle dusted cheeks flushed a light pink. Had he done something strange? She propped herself up on her elbow, polishing off the bottle before letting it fall to the floor. Well, that was one problem solved. She was drunk, no surprise she was a lightweight, but at least it made things easier. 

 

“Where did you put the supplies?” he asked. 

 

She gestured to her bag, waving her fingertip in quick, small circles. “In there some’ere” 

 

He nodded slightly, dragging it closer. “I have to go through it.” 

 

“S’fine.” she slurred. 

 

He drew the zipper, several weapons jutting out, slipping free from the bag, more ammunition than she probably ever had a reason to need, and several pieces of clothing, including a dress that he couldn’t picture her wearing. Not one, but  _ ten _ pairs of handcuffs, he had no idea why anyone needed that many pairs. Books, magazines, an assortment of things he could see no use for, spotting the case he was after under the edge of some frilly scrap of fabric. Danse pulled it out, mildly curious to see how decayed it was, silently vowing to tell her to throw out the crap she couldn’t possibly need later. He frowned, examining it properly, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

 

“Never took you for the kind to look through my underwear…” she mumbled. 

 

He looked again, quickly dropping them. Sneaking a glance at her again, he tilted his head, his mind wandering off without him. It certainly didn’t  _ look _ like enough to cover her properly. Shaking his mind clear, he grabbed the kit, opening it to look at what they had, it looked like they had enough for him to get her stitched up. He focused first on the wound that still had debris in it, carefully picking it out, holding her down at the waist to keep her still when she squirmed. Why she hadn’t replenished the proper supplies she might have need of was a question to ask later, as he saw it, it was her fault that it came to this. 

 

When the needle went through the first time, she arched with a disgruntled whine, her hand pushing on his head like she was trying to tell him to stop, but when he reprimanded her, she stopped, forcing herself to lay still, though it didn’t keep her quiet. To his chagrin, it did nothing to make the situation any more bearable for him. 

 

“Danse...it hurts…” she mumbled. 

 

“Well, I did advise you  _ not _ to shoot the mine from such a close distance. Maybe next time you’ll actually listen to me.” he said. 

 

She reached out again, putting a finger to his lips, shaking her head. “Shhhhh….” she hissed. 

 

He was far beyond taking anymore of her antics, and without giving it a second thought, he trapped her finger, nipping at it, hoping that would be enough to remind her who outranked who, and that her mouth could  _ still _ get her in trouble, wounded or not. She pulled her hand back, her lip pushed out in a pout, thinking better of saying anything about it. He patted her knee lightly. 

 

“That’s one taken care of. See how fast this can go if you sit still?” he scolded again. 

 

If he believed the easy part was over, he certainly had another thing coming. If he thought she was tough to deal with normally, the lesson would be a hard one to learn. 


	5. Hands On Tactics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danse thinks he's dreaming, but the reality might just be better than any dream he's ever had.

Danse disappeared for a short time to check the perimeter, scattering mines for a rudimentary defense. He made sure to plot out where he put them so when she was well enough for them to leave, they wouldn’t accidentally set any off. He hadn’t seen anyone out this way when he brought her here, and the building looked like it hadn’t been touched in a long time, so he doubted anyone would bother, but caution didn’t hurt. There was no bed, just the broken down couch, which meant they’d have to share space. Still, it went better than expected until well after the sun had set, the sound of rain on the roof enough to get them to sleep. That was the start of the ‘ _ complications’,  _ so to speak. He had made the mistake of laying out his uniform to dry, after she had dozed off, assuming he’d be up well before she was, and dressed before she had a chance to make any off-color comments about it. 

 

He didn’t stir initially, thinking he had to be dreaming. It happened from time to time, the ‘special’ kind of dream he didn’t usually pay any attention to. Duty first, as always. This time, however, it didn’t go away like it normally did if he ignored it long enough. His hips rocked almost unconsciously, sinking back into the couch. The feeling stopped, and he groped around in a feeble attempt to seek it out once more, revelling in the soft warmth loosely curled around his now aching cock, exhaling slowly. Against his wishes, his thoughts returned to his charge’s curves, the swell of her breasts, and her dusky nipples. A practically sinful smile on her lips, beckoning him to her. He hadn’t concerned himself with anything beyond the Brotherhood enough to know what it was actually like, but that didn’t stop his thoughts from trying to guess at it. 

 

His imagination was better than he gave it credit for, he could practically smell the sweet scent of her hair, of the subtle perfume she wore. He had allowed himself to wonder where she managed to find it, but not enough to ask. It was a smell he had grown very familiar with in their travels together, it wasn’t the least bit odd that he remembered it now. When he thought to question it a little more, his eyes flew open, glancing down. Her head rested on his shoulder, eyes closed, her hand obscured by the band of his briefs. Was she actually sleeping? 

 

“Kare…” he growled, unintentionally. 

 

Her eyes opened slowly at his voice, eyelashes fluttering a few times in an effort to adjust to the dim light. He hadn’t really taken the time to notice before just how long they were, or why he had tried so hard to deny that he felt anything for her that wasn’t work-related. 

 

“Danse…” she cooed softly. 

 

He wanted to figure out the best course of action for a situation like this, and yet for the life of him, he couldn’t think clearly. He couldn’t even decide what outcome he was hoping for, did he actually want her to stop, or was he secretly hoping for more? His hand fisted in her hair, tugging gently, grinding against her hand, partially still wondering if he was actually dreaming. Well, if it was, it was a damn good one, and he wanted more of it. Lifting slightly, he hastily pushed his bottoms off, letting go of his hold on her hair, his hand dropping to her lower back, drawing her to him. He went for her lips, the faint taste of vodka lingering. It wasn’t enough to put him off, her tongue sliding over his, relenting to his exploration. He blindly fumbled to get her panties off, moving with her to put her on her back, his fingers snaking between her thighs. She moaned, the sound vibrating in his mouth, pushing back against his hand. He had no idea if he was even doing it right, but she seemed to be enjoying it. The way she spread around his digits was unlike anything he could relate it to, splaying them inside. As much as he knew he should be reconsidering the situation, trying to put an end to it to try and salvage what he could of their professional relationship, he suspected that was all but impossible now. What he hadn’t expected was that he didn’t seem to mind the thought of that as strongly as he pictured. 

 

He slowly broke the kiss, an almost guilty look on his face, his voice serious. “Look, I have...something of a confession, I suppose.” 

 

She kneaded his shoulders firmly, eliciting a pleased groan from him. It was already hard enough to bring it up, but she was distracting him from the point. 

 

“Shoot, I’m listening…” she purred. 

 

Christ, her voice was velvet, practically oozing sensuality, and he was only  _ just now _ realizing how much he liked it. 

 

“I’ve never...that is, I don’t really know...how…” he trailed off, hoping she could make sense of it. 

 

She tilted her head playfully, and he braced himself for the impending comment on the subject. He was almost pleasantly surprised at her response. 

 

“Follow your instincts then, you’re good at that.” she told him. 

 

He was already doing that much, guided solely on the sounds she made, guessing correctly that she got louder the more she liked what he was doing. He pressed his lips to her neck, feeling her shiver at the contact, biting firmly, her desperate plea striking against his ear, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. 

 

“Danse…” she sighed, swaying against his hand “I can’t hold it anymore…” 

 

Was she waiting for permission, he couldn’t exactly tell. He stopped long enough to give her an answer, in case she was. “Then don’t, don’t hold back.” 

 

Her nails scraped at his shoulders feverishly, stinging his skin in a way he didn’t entirely find unpleasant, slowing, but not stopping until her gasping cries weakened, feeling the tension in her body melt away. He still found himself needing more, wanting, really. The idea that he could accidentally rip her stitches was a problem. He could try to be a bit gentler, but he had a sneaking suspicion she wouldn’t approve of that. 

 

“How are you feeling, how’s the pain?” he asked finally. 

 

The concern was touching, but honestly at that moment, she couldn’t be bothered to think about it. 

 

“I’m fine, don’t worry about that.” she told him. 

 

Danse looked like he was ready to protest any moment. She tried to pull him closer, redirecting his focus back to her neck, pressed against her. Trying to be cautious about it wasn’t getting him anywhere, extending a little more effort and force to overcome the resistance. 

 

“ _Fuck... “_ he gasped, muffled against her throat. 

 

Kareena couldn’t ever recall a time when she heard him swear, at least not like that. Maybe a ‘damn’ every once in awhile. She didn’t feel compelled to tell him, but she liked the way it sounded coming from him, a rough quality to it that she found appealing. She might give him less trouble if he sounded like that all the time. Then again, that might only make it a challenge to get anything done. He nipped and sucked at the hollow of her throat, feeling her jump underneath him, her legs wrapping around his. He followed the curves of her side, traced along the delicate lines of her hips, trailed up her stomach. Teasingly circling her nipple, his calloused thumb sweeping over it. If he was going to have her, he wanted to experience everything she had, not content to simply indulge the urges she had awoken in him. He had  _ definitely _ noticed before, regardless of how hard he tried not to, her breasts spilling over his grasp. 

 

She rolled against him, her hands clasping behind his neck. Following her throat upward, his stubble scraped across her skin, searching out her lips again. Her lips were bruised, swollen under his, but he wanted more, almost compelled to devour her from inside out. Danse brought his palm back down, gripping her hip, moving her counter to him chasing more of the feelings gnawing at his thighs and in his stomach. There was a sense of a struggle for dominance in the way she took over control of the kiss, quickly bowing to his whims. This time, he understood the signs she was giving him better, gripped tighter inside her, quivering, her legs tensing against his, the way her chest heaved, her pulse racing. She whimpered almost urgently, and he felt it, though he couldn’t bring himself to slow down anymore, electric tingles firing throughout his body telling him he wasn’t going to be able to hold back for much longer. 

 

He wasn’t quite sure what she wanted him to do about it, but the idea of asking now felt like something she might find strange. Still, it was a better idea than to keep going and find out after that he had made a mistake somehow. He parted from her lips, almost drawn back, trying to concentrate on the question at hand first. 

 

“Kare, where should I...you know…?” he asked awkwardly, his words rasped against her ear. 

 

Not answering immediately, he worried she might not in time, feeling the building tension. About to ask again, she finally answered breathily, almost enough to push him over the edge. 

 

“This is fine.” she panted, like that was all she could manage. 

 

He pulled her tightly to him, buried deeply in her, his limit reached. Danse slowed almost completely to a stop, barely moving now, stifling his nearly breathless moans against her shoulder. It was relief, but with it, it felt like every ounce of energy he had left him, riding it out completely before he lazily pulled free from her. He tried to be considerate, his weight shifted to her right side to avoid aggravating any pain she felt. 

 

Her eyes fluttered shut, enjoying the warmth and weight of him too much to let go just yet, she sighed, catching her breath before breaking the peaceful silence. 

 

“If you have a lecture in you, can we save it until morning?” she mumbled. 

 

He hardly felt qualified to reprimand her for this when he was just as guilty now, though he figured it wouldn’t hurt to discuss it a little when they both had ample time to rest up. Though he hated to admit it, she had managed to completely exhaust him, and more than anything, he needed a nap.

 

“That’s a good idea.” he agreed. 

 

The house had not come with blankets, and the rain had left a chill in the air. She was probably warmer this way, but the concern for her wellbeing was still there. He gripped her waist loosely, turning with her, her back to his chest, for warmth he told himself. That was half true at least, the other half being that he didn’t really like the idea of letting her go just yet. Danse couldn’t say whether it was an accident or not, or that it wouldn’t change the dynamic between them, but at least for the moment, he was almost  _ glad _ it had happened.


	6. Chapter 6

Danse sat up slowly, hearing something out of the ordinary. Instinctively, he felt around in front of him, realizing Kareena was already up and out of bed. His breath caught for a second, concerned that she might have fallen, explaining away the source of the noise. He found her immediately, dressed only in a long, loose t-shirt, it was smudged with grease and dirt, and he initially guessed she found it that way until he noticed the pieces scattered on the floor in front of her. Her head shot back, eyes wide with worry, the corner of her lip clenched loosely in between her teeth. He didn’t want to think about it too much, considering they still needed to determine what exactly was going to happen, but that look sent his pulse pounding faster. She was sexy, and he knew he didn’t have to tell her that, she already knew, there was no way she didn’t, not after he had proven he couldn’t quite control himself around her. He didn’t regret it exactly, but he was by no means proud of himself. In his mind it was an abuse of his authority over her, however willing she was. 

 

“Did I wake you up? I’m so sorry, I just...couldn’t sleep any more.” she mumbled guiltily. 

 

Danse shook his head dismissively, hunching over, elbows resting on his knees to get a look at what she was working on. The parts scattered in front of her appeared to be the entirety of her gun, but a closer look said it was more than that, she was sizing up different modifications, pushing some to the side and drawing the rest into her neatly organized pile. He was about to bring the matter up, his eyes accidentally drawn to notice her nipples poking against her shirt, flooded with memories he was trying not to think about. He tried looking instead to the bag, thinking the blank canvas would be enough of a distraction, but it was still open, her panties looped through a pair of the handcuffs he had carelessly tossed back in. His mouth moved, but he still had no idea what he was going to say, until she spoke again, taking his focus off the matter for a moment.

 

“Didn’t know when you’d get up, so I left you something to eat. Just a can of Cram and some water, but it’s better than nothing I guess. Noticed a shower in the bathroom, I was going to see if it still works, maybe take a look at the water heater. With any luck, it’s not too damaged.” she sighed, slowly working to piece together her gun. 

 

He made a noise at the back of his throat, not quite derisive, but there was a hint of doubt somewhere in that simple sound. “What do you know about plumbing? Let me guess, your father came back from his service and opened a plumbing business, and you, kneehigh to a grasshopper were practically attached to his hip and now you think you know enough to mess with it?” 

 

She stiffened up at the sudden mention of her father, the unexpected nature enough to momentarily knock the wind out of her, scrambling to pick up the part she dropped, returning her attention to that, afraid her voice would crack up if she tried to answer right away. She bent forward, grabbing a book off the top of the bag, handing it to him. 

 

“This is a pretty thorough reference. I should be able to figure it out if I follow this.” she said simply. 

 

He felt like an incredible ass for saying that without cause. He tended to forget that, while she hadn’t exactly told him what happened, not that it had mattered at the time, he was pretty certain she mentioned before that her parents were long gone. 

 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that…” he said. 

 

He hesitated, unsure what he should do, she was trying very hard to be strong, knowing that was the standard he had set, what he expected of her. At the same time, she couldn’t hide the tears welling in the corner of her eye, trying to ignore it. His palm curved against her cheek, sweeping it away with his thumb, directing her to look at him. 

 

“I realize I’m still being harder on you than I need to be. I’ve said it before, but I don’t think I need to push as hard with you. You’ve never been a disappointment to me, and I can say you’re an exemplary Knight.” he sighed, not breaking the slight contact just yet. “And a hell of a woman. I’m sure they’d be very proud of you.” 

 

She slipped her fingers between his, leaning into his hand. It was comforting, the kind of thing she didn’t realize she needed. Keeping busy was more than enough to keep her mind off it, but now, with little enough to do, perhaps she was getting a little sentimental. Kareena wasn’t the type of woman to ask for anything, even if it was something she needed, but just this once, maybe it was alright. 

 

“Danse...I realize this may seem strange, but...is it alright to kiss you?” she asked. 

 

His eyes burned right through her, and for a second, she thought he was about to review protocol and why exactly it was an inappropriate suggestion. Instead, he held his arm out to her, resting it on her lower back when she moved closer, his skin warm. Whatever he was, whether she viewed him from the perspective of a Knight to her superior, or as anything else, he felt safe. He gently guided her closer, her lips brushing his, briefly, a surprisingly chaste kiss, sweeter than he expected. After last night, he was half bracing for the same kind of scorching, passionate liplock she offered before. He carefully scooped her up, drawing her to his lap, one arm draped over her to keep her from tumbling off, his other slowly stroking her hair. This kind of gesture wasn’t one he was accustomed to, but it seemed like it was enough to soothe her, and served as a way to apologize for overstepping. Still, he couldn’t exactly delay the talk they needed to have. It wasn’t much of a compromise, but perhaps it was the only way to maintain any semblance of a professional relationship. 

 

“Kareena...look, last night was...I feel like saying it was wrong is a lie, but at the same time, you know it’s not appropriate. The only solution I can come up with is to consider this something of a break. From now until you’re alright to handle the trip back, we can drop the formality, but the minute we leave, it will have to return to the way it was. It would be best not to include any of this in the report, there’s no need for either of us to have to deal with Maxson’s idea of punishment.” he explained, albeit somewhat awkwardly. 

 

For Danse to suggest an alternative like that as opposed to sticking rigidly to the tenets of the Brotherhood caught her off guard. Still, there was more to it than not wanting to get in trouble. It was masked, but she had a feeling it had just as much to do with him finding her company difficult to handle, a kind of sneaky admission that there was every possibility it could happen again. He was protecting her, while also covering his own ass, it was genius. 

 

“Agreed. We’ll keep whatever happens here right here when we leave.” she said. 

 

His face became serious then, almost too serious. “On a different note, I can’t stop wondering. Why do you have so many handcuffs? What exactly do you need them for?” 

 

Initially, she had been saving them for the springs and screws. That much she was fine admitting to, but the other reason, she couldn’t bring herself to explain her curiosity. 

 

“They’re useful for parts.” she said as seriously as she could manage. 

 

“I see.” he said, leaning a little closer, noticing the faint blush rising to her ears. Another thing he wouldn’t admit to, being his fondness for her freckles, this close, he could almost count them. “Would you like to try again? The truth, this time.” 

 

Kareena swallowed hard, biting her lip again. Whatever the reason, she was nervous about it, enough to try once more to come up with a convincing lie. He was no expert, but he could read it in the way her eyes seemed to search the air hopelessly for a reason that wasn’t there. His hand left her hair, tracing the curve of her spine slowly, prompting a shiver from her, her shoulders squeezing back briefly. 

 

“They’re...it’s...just something I read in a book, it’s nothing really…” she squeaked. 

 

He didn’t need any further explanation to make an educated guess at what she intended for them after that. No, his mind was doing a fine job painting that picture for him. Still, it was an idea, something that hadn’t entered his thoughts. He patted her hip lightly, setting her down easily. He needed time to think, and her presence wasn’t helping, the best thing he could do was distract her. 

 

“You said something about the shower? Call if you need anything, I don’t need you falling.” he said calmly. 

 

“Right! Need a few tools, I think.” She said. 

 

Bending to retrieve the book from the floor, she grabbed an armful of tools she thought she might need, scurrying off towards the small bathroom. He sighed to himself, foregoing the underwear to grab his uniform, pulling it on just to his waist, letting the top hang, leaning over to snag a pair of the cuffs, slipping them discreetly into the pocket on the side, largely unused. He didn’t really have anything to put in them until now, but it would require a bit of inspection first.


	7. Chapter 7

Danse waited until he heard her moving things around before he hunched over again, eyeing her bag. He didn’t like the idea of going through her personal things again without permission, but at the same time, he needed more information. It took some heavy thinking to rationalize it in his mind, finally settling on it being his business to make sure she was taken care of. He was chosen to be her sponsor, and being in a team meant making sure that everyone was in peak condition, mentally and physically. If she was lacking in either, it was surely his duty to make sure it was seen to, right? She said it was a book that put ideas in her head, so he was looking for a book then? He was doubtful she put it anywhere else, she read often during breaks, no matter how short, and stopped at times to pick up more. The titles gave nothing away, things like “Your Corvega and You”, “Caring For Your Rifle” and...he rolled his eyes, setting aside several issues of Grognak comics, in varying states of use. Thinking he found all of them, he spotted one more, wrapped inside a pair of worn overalls, just the corner peeking out. 

 

“Advanced Combat Tactics”, that couldn’t be it. It piqued his own interest though, momentarily distracted from his search, he examined the side, noting that several pages were folded over in the corner. Probably useful passages, worth a quick perusal before he put it back. It didn’t take more than two sentences to realize this particular book had absolutely nothing to do with combat. He skimmed the marked pages, his face growing hot, biting his lip as his mind tried to piece together what exactly it was describing. He almost couldn’t believe these things had appealed to her, but then, he was having trouble believing they were actually appealing to him.

 

“This is what she wants?” he muttered to himself, what he thought was quietly. 

 

Kareena stuck her head out curiously, sweeping her hand through her hair, wiping at her brow. “Did you say somethin’ Danse?” she asked. 

 

He quickly set the book in the crease of the couch, shaking his head. “Not particularly. I was wondering how it was coming along.” 

 

She wiped her hands on her shirt, though he couldn’t focus on how dirty it was. Her braids were loose, her hair falling in long waves, her cheeks pink. Why was she such a problem for him? He was used to being around women, he worked with Haylen without issue, and there were other women on the Prydwen that didn’t even register to him. It had to have something to do with knowing just how soft her skin was, and what it felt like to be with her. She was his first, and that had to be it, skewing his perception of her, or something to that effect. He leaned back, crossing a leg over his other, the cuffs prodding him in the hip, reminding him they were still there. 

 

“It looks salvageable. The water works, and it’s not setting off my Geiger counter, guessing it’s connected to a source of clean water at least. Heater isn’t in bad condition, just need to make a few adjustments and see what happens. I’m sure you’re eager for a hot shower, so I’ll try to work quickly.” she explained, her hands moving slow and awkward like she had no idea what to do with them at that moment. 

 

“Take your time.” he said, quickly setting a firmer expression. “I would rather it be done correctly than quickly.” 

She bit her lip, nodding once before spinning on her heel. “Of course, I understand. I’ll get back to work then.” 

 

Danse retrieved the book again, flipping through more of the pages, reading and re-reading certain passages, glancing back to make sure she hadn’t come back just yet. When he was convinced he understood it as best as he could, he put it back, exactly as it was. This was for her benefit, but that didn’t mean he wanted to make it obvious that he had been digging through her effects. His heart was racing, either from nerves or...well, it wasn’t like him, but it was possible it was actually  _ excitement _ . The mental picture of acting out the situations he had read about, and knowing they were things she  _ wanted _ to try, it meant he was breaking in new ground with her, and there was something almost special about that. Waiting was a challenge for the first time he could recall, he didn’t want to rush her, but at the same time, she was taking longer than he anticipated. Time seemed to race by, and he decided to call her out, but as he was about to, she popped back out, her brow beaded in sweat. 

 

“Whew...well, it’s all done. I made sure to check it thoroughly, she’s up ‘n runnin’.” she sighed heavily. 

 

“Knight” he began, knowing the formality he had agreed to drop would call her focus to him. “Come here for a moment.”

 

Kareena frowned, her eyebrows drawing together nervously. She pressed the tips of her fingers together, her usually confident stride replaced by the dismal shuffle of someone going to their execution. There was something about that picture that made him smile a little. Maybe it was some twisted sense of satisfaction, or maybe it had more to do with the response he expected when he sprang it on her. When she reached his side, he gestured for her to take a seat. She sat down slowly, keeping her head down. Danse took a seat behind her, pretending to check the backs of her arms. He had claimed she had scraped them, and had to look, and it was that easy. She didn’t question him, sliding her arms back, supporting herself on them, he gently grasped her by the crook of her elbow to keep her still. His other hand reached for the cuffs, slow and quiet. Close enough now, he moved quickly, snapping the cuffs around her wrists, finally getting her attention, her head turning swiftly to look at him over her shoulder. 

 

“I may have lied. Perhaps it’s obvious.” he told her. 

 

He wasn’t entirely confident he could pull it off, but he was definitely willing to try. Bound as she was, he knew she was in no position to refuse, that aside, it was her, what was the word?  _ Fantasy _ , that was it. This was what she wanted, and he was about to indulge her, refusing wasn’t going to be in her mind. Danse slid his fingers under the collar of her shirt, getting a firm grip on the thin cloth, easily ripping it jaggedly down the back, pulling it away from her. He wasn’t quite certain about being rough with her in less than perfect condition, but if she could handle it, it might not be so bad. That in mind, he leaned closer, pressing his lips against her ear. 

 

“If this is too much, I want you to tell me immediately, do you understand?” he stated. She nodded, but that wasn’t enough for him. “Use your words…” 

 

“Yes, I understand…” she murmured softly. 

 

“Very good.” he praised. 

 

Danse twisted her gently around so she was facing him, easing her to lie back. He grasped her thighs, taking the time to appreciate the velvet feel of her skin against his rough palms, his thumbs kneading slow, firm circles, bringing a sigh of relief to her lips. He took his time working higher, maintaining an agonizing pace, teasingly dodging direct contact. Caressing the softer spaces first, watching the way her hips rose almost unconsciously. It was almost a fascination now, slowing even more, dragging his index finger down, watching the way she squirmed and pouted. 

 

“You’re looking flushed, Knight, are you feeling well?” he asked, smirking. He knew very well the reason for it.

 

She frowned, nodding, though she said nothing. It was clear she wanted more, and was bothered that he wasn’t giving in. It was unexpectedly a lot more interesting to keep her wanting. Still, he obliged, but only a little. His finger pressed in, only a little, thwarting her attempts to bring more in, pulling back each time. Kareena whined softly, and he clicked his tongue, shaking his head in mock disappointment. 

 

“I never took you for a delinquent. I might have to put insubordination in your records. It won’t look good.” he scolded. His hand held her down by the waist, pressing just a little harder every time she tried again after. 

 

When she finally stopped trying, he rewarded her with more, though he maintained that crawling pace, his finger curled inside her, watching the frustration on her face grow more severe with every moment. A wicked thought crossed his mind, and instead of taking his time, he pressed a second finger in, giving her what she desired, faster, harder. He let up on his hold, mindful of the signs. She bit her lip, and he smiled, watching the way she struggled to grind against his digits, humming to himself as he spread his fingers apart. Not quite yet, she wasn’t there, though she was practically soaked already. She hadn’t said it, but he knew she was enjoying the game as well. She panted, arched, practically sang his name, her chest rising and falling in a way that almost made him want to give her whatever she wanted, but she was still in for a bit of a rude awakening if she thought he was going to make it easy for her.

 

He cupped her face gently, tracing the outline of her lips slowly. It was about time, she was getting too used to it, too close. He waited for just the right moment, her eyes fixed on his, her voice breathy, easy on the ears. 

 

“D...Danse…”she gasped. 

 

“Yes, Knight, something on your mind?” he asked pleasantly. 

 

“I can’t…” she tried again. 

 

“Can’t what, exactly?” he questioned. 

 

“I need…” her words trailed off, perhaps too embarrassed to finish the thought. 

 

“I understand.” he said gently. 

 

Her walls clenched his fingers, and he could feel she was beginning to lose control of herself. Abruptly, he pulled his hand away, her expression one of begging then, needing more, wanting him to give her the release she was chasing. He had no such plans to do so, at least not yet. Danse grasped her shoulder, bringing her to sit up, shifting his hold back to her hips to ensure she wouldn’t simply try to use the furniture to finish what he wasn’t going to. Her breathing was slow to steady, but eventually leveled out, an almost disappointed look on her face. He let up on her, the last traces of self-conscious concern gone from his mind, he pushed his uniform down past his hips, bunched around his knees, his length springing free. Danse seemed to consider her bound hands for a moment, mentally referencing the book again, instead loosely grabbing ahold of her hair, drawing her in. 

 

He tipped his head, pressing against her lips, watching her slowly work her way down. Her tongue darted around, along and against him. He groaned, meaning to hold it in, but unable to, unprepared for the way it felt. It was conflicting, warm, but there was a sliver of cold, soft, but firm, and it occurred to him that he had forgotten her tongue was pierced, momentarily concerned it was uncomfortable for her, though she made no complaints about it. Even without her words, she was a clever girl, he was certain she had a way of telling him when it was too much. She pulled back, but not away, taking a quick breath, his head falling back against his shoulders, exhaling slowly. Kareena said it was a curiosity, and he wondered if she had ever tried this before. He maintained no claim over her, and yet even with that in mind, a part of him was struck with a mild sense of jealousy. He gently tugged her hair, trying to halt her. She stopped at his signal, glancing up at him, his pulse pounding, unsure how to explain the way she looked like that, or even begin to rationalize why it was a kind of rush to see her gaze up at him at that moment.

 

She moved back obediently, awaiting his instruction. That too was almost shamefully exciting. How quickly she had gone from willful to doing exactly as he told her, even without words, it was impressive in a sense. He leaned to the side briefly, checking to see that she was still holding out okay. If he meant to continue on in the way her ‘ _ literature’ _ had, it might compromise the integrity of her stitching. She no longer winced at his touch, and he was both pleased and mildly disappointed at that. Not much longer and she’d be fine, she was healing nicely. That was good news, but that also meant they’d be leaving soon, and this would be little more than a memory, something that couldn’t happen again. Danse lifted her easily, turning her onto her stomach, propping her up on her knees. There would be time to hear exactly how she was finding it, he didn’t feel like letting her in on just how much thought went into doing this for her, not yet. 

 

He fondled her sides slowly, prodding the back of her thigh. Finding the curve of her waist, his wandering touch stopped, getting a firm hold. 

 

“Are you holding up alright?” he asked, genuinely concerned. 

 

“Yes, I’m fine.” she confirmed, her words muffled against the arm of the couch. 

It felt harder to enter from this angle, despite how wet she was. He could see the way she spread around him, trying to push back to help. As much as he was liking her obedience, he said nothing about her acting without being told to. Her hips raised, hissing uncomfortably when he successfully fit to her. He waited, bending to plant a kiss between her shoulders, her fingers wiggling in a vain attempt to touch him when he did. It had never been a point of interest to him prior, but he imagined it had to be a challenge for her after all. She was  _ maybe _ a bit over 5 feet, built like a bird, though he could tell the work had done plenty for her. There was a bit of muscle to her that wasn’t there when she first appeared at the police station. This was fine and had its perks, but at the same time, he preferred being able to face her, to have her hands on him, to see the look in her eyes. He wasn’t planning to stop before she was completely satisfied with it, but at the same time, he wasn’t  _ not _ going to picture it how it went in his mind. 

 

Her hips swayed slightly, and he took that as her signal that it was fine now, guiding her back slowly, though it was hard. There was a significant part of him that was, quite frankly, finding it difficult not to work her over. He had to maintain control, despite what his body was screaming for. The run-down house was filled with the wet, striking sounds made between them, held tightly by her, her skin flushed a rosy pink, and hot. Kareena bit and sucked on her lower lip, unable to silence herself completely, first trapped low in her throat, then increasingly vocal ‘ahs’ punctuating every hard thrust against her. Her shoulders slipped, making audible thuds against the arm of the couch, planning to slow down if not for the way she begged for more. Against his better judgment, he gave into her wishes, tightening his hold on her, her lightly tanned skin turning white, then red from the way his fingers dug in, her hips bucking back hard. He held nothing back from her, half concerned the couch might completely buckle under the strain. 

 

Her spine curved upwards, trying to steal whatever extra contact she could with him, and he obliged, leaning against her, muffling his harsh groans against her neck. Her breath stuck in her throat, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. He didn’t have to ask any longer to know how she felt about it, she let him know, a loud, shaking moan slipping free. He slowed a little, but not by much, hearing her faint curse, suspecting he wasn’t meant to hear it, but it was enough to make him grin almost proudly. 

 

_ “Fuck, Danse…”  _ she sighed. 

 

He held her up, her legs quivering like they might give out, she only needed to hold out a little bit longer, and they could both rest up for a bit. Danse pulled away from her, his right hand crawling away from her hip to curl around the cuffs, using them to pull her back harder to him, slowing to a halt moments later, keeping her to him, letting her still twitching walls do the rest of the work for him, certain he came harder than he had last time, thick ropes thinning and snapping when he pulled free from her. He had never picked a lock before, but he had seen her do it enough to believe he could manage, unsure if she had keys and where she had them if she did. Reaching up lazily, he snatched the bobby pin from her hair, fishing around in the lock. She could have managed faster and more efficiently, sure, but he accomplished it after a few tries. He held her wrists a little longer, kissing them gently before letting her turn over and curl up loosely, knowing he had to have depleted her energy. 

 

“I do apologize, I...went through your bag again.” he admitted sheepishly, finally. 

 

She snagged his arm, pulling him down over her. For a moment he was concerned she wanted to go again already. Her arms circled his neck, keeping him close, realizing she was aiming for a nap. He slid an arm around her, resting his head against her shoulder. 

 

“S’okay.” she purred sleepily. 

 

“I...feel compelled to ask again, you’re  _ really _ alright?” he asked. 

 

Her fingers swept upward along his neck, through his hair, smiling. “I’m fine, I swear.”

 

Content with that, he squeezed her slightly. “Alright, soldier. After a short reprieve, why don’t we see how well you did on that shower. Rest up tonight, we’re leaving tomorrow.” 

 

It wasn’t so much that he was eager to part ways with her, but more that it was part of being responsible. If she was well enough to handle that, she was well enough to make the trip. Any longer, and it would only raise questions as to what delayed them. 

 

“As you say, Paladin.” she said decisively. 

 

Strangely, it stung a little bit to hear her call him that, like the sound of her voice calling him by name had burned itself into his brain, and left him almost empty being addressed by rank. Heaven help him, he knew what was happening, and it was not a good thing, not completely. It was best left unsaid, knowing he already compromised matters between them. 

 


	8. Welcome to Goodneighbor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rolling into Goodneighbor, things immediately go sideways. 
> 
> -Chem/Drug references  
> -Non-descriptive referenced attempted rape/non-con  
> -Murder spree with Hancock
> 
> Hancock employs MacCready to keep an eye on Kareena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to trip on the plot again to introduce Hancock, MacCready and advance the (light) plot a little more. 
> 
> -Much of this actually was inspired by 'Dead Bite' // Hollywood Undead

Kareena heaved a sigh, plunking down on the stairs of the flight deck. Maxson hadn’t questioned the report, but there was no doubt that he was suspicious. Had it been that much of an issue, she would have gladly showed him her slow-to-scar wounds. Danse clipped away her stitches the day before they arrived and they still bore the tiny rounded marks on either side of them from where the stitches had been. She would have been more than happy to report on how remarkably he had tended to her, considering he was not precisely a medic. Danse had been cleared to do as he pleased, the next step depending largely on the results of her own new assignment. Sanctuary was calling her from across the Commonwealth, but it would still have to wait. For now, she had to proceed to Goodneighbor as she originally planned before the Brotherhood summoned her away. She pushed herself up, setting off again, unaware that she’d be delayed yet again once she arrived…

 

\----

It began with a blur, her memories...fuzzy, hazy really. She remembered walking, but not where she was going, recalled an arm around her shoulders, guiding her somewhere. There was a voice in her ear, a sharp jab in her arm, a rush of rage, barely contained...and then the sound of shouting from another room, rushing footsteps, and then being lifted, like she was being raised to heaven, two blurry faces lingering above her like a foggy dream she couldn’t make out. 

 

“I got this, no choice but to let her ride it out…” she heard a voice say. 

 

When her vision cleared up, she was staring down the side of a massive building, a length of rope curled around her arm. At the end of the rope was a loop around the neck of a man she couldn’t remember ever meeting. 

 

“Go ahead Darlin’, let it all out.” that same voice called. 

 

It definitely felt like she wasn’t in control of her own body, an ache in her arm made her look, a puncture wound caked in blood around the edges greeting her glassy gaze. Still not clear enough to figure it out for herself. Her foot danced out, unsure how she was keeping her balance, a strangled, wet groan preceding the fall of the man at the end of her rope, watching it uncoil quickly from her forearm. It was horrifying, and yet all she could do was laugh like a woman in the deepest pits of delirium. 

 

“He really flew, hehe…” it was her voice, but did she actually say that? 

 

Another lapse in memory, this time, somewhere else. The damp smell of dirt caught her nose, what seemed to be a raider sniffling. He shoveled dirt over his shoulder, and she glanced down the length of her arm, a gun pointed at him, keeping him digging. What the hell was happening, and why? Why couldn’t she move her own body? 

 

“Not a bad spot, really…” she mumbled. 

 

She leaned over the edge of the hole, pulling the trigger three times, the first two missing where she intended to aim. Now she knew something was up, she  _ never _ missed. Kicking him in, she turned on her heel like nothing had happened, striding away, no, skipping really. 

 

This was all a bad dream, it had to be. Another blank space in her memory, the next time, a woman this time. She chuckled darkly, drawing a bloody dagger across her throat, listening to the gurgle, supplemented by shrieks as she fished around in the open gash for her tongue, frowning slightly. 

 

“That’s bogus. It’s not possible like this…” she whined. 

 

An arm came over her shoulder, grabbing the blade from her hand. Reaching in, the hand severed the tongue, feeling through the cut again, drawing out the woman’s tongue through the hole. 

 

“Not exactly how I pictured it, but it worked…” she huffed satisfactorily. “Next.” 

 

What was next? 

 

“Sorry doll, someone got to him before you.” he said, draping an arm around her shoulder. “Rushed to action right away and didn’t even ask for payment first. Minor miracle.” 

 

Who was he talking about? They started to walk away together, until she heard a sound. Not bothering to check, she reached in her pocket, grabbing a grenade. She tried to force it into her mouth, yanking the pin. The hand holding onto her reached for her hand, and she remembered running, but it was more like flying. A big, stupid smile on her face, before she blacked out completely. 

 

This time, when she came to again, her limbs moved on command, her vision clear. Three faces hovered over her this time. She was clean, minus the blood under her nails. 

 

“Hey, my new best friend is finally with us.” the man said. 

 

“You say that so casually, she probably doesn’t even remember you.” another man scoffed. 

 

The only face she recognized was Nick, finally here. He squatted down next to her, looking her over, a strange expression on his face. “Really did a number on those goons.” 

 

She shook her head slowly. “What happened? I can’t really remember.” 

 

On her other side, the first man’s hand shot out, ruffling her hair. “You did us proud.”

 

“Hancock, you might have to spell it out for her.” Nick sighed. 

 

“Some creep roofied you. I got to them before anything serious happened, the rest scattered. Still, looks like they drugged you but good. Psycho.” the man explained. 

 

“I’m not a psycho…” Kareena protested. 

 

“ _ Psycho”  _  Hancock repeated. “Chems, girly.” 

 

That would explain why she couldn’t remember much. She hadn’t ever taken chems, pre-war or after. It just seemed like a bad move, and then between the Minutemen and the Brotherhood, she needed her wits about her.

 

“So...what happened after?” she asked apprehensively. 

 

Hancock laughed, slapping her back proudly. “Well, first you got up on the counter, and started dancing. We danced for a bit, you tried to climb MacCready, here. Then you and I went on an adventure and tracked down the others.” 

 

She frowned, offering an apologetic nod to MacCready. “I am  _ so  _ sorry…” she mumbled. 

 

“Hey, wasn’t all you, I don’t think. If it was, forget about it, I’m not complaining.” he sighed. 

 

“We found them pretty quick, and let’s leave it at you’re one hell of a creative killer. Gave me some ideas. I thought, flower like you, you ain’t got it in you, even on chems. Sure proved me wrong.” he laughed again. 

 

Nick stood up, reaching out a hand to her. “Look, maybe it’s better not to ask for too many details. Doctor Amari is expecting us when you’re steadier on your feet.” 

 

Hancock tipped his head towards the man who found her. “This is a rough neighborhood. I tossed him some caps to keep you company and watch your back. He slacks off, you let me know.” 

 

Kareena nodded slowly, supported between Nick and MacCready, guiding her towards the Memory Den to see the Doctor, once the very last remnants of her uncoordinated, still shaky movements had normalized. She kicked back when she was deposited in a chair, sweeping a hand through her hair, her eyes narrowing briefly. 

 

“I missed. Twice.” she said irritably, the one bit of memory she retained most clearly. 

 

“Well, you weren’t exactly  _ yourself _ .” Nick said. 

 

“What gives with that? I thought chems didn’t last very long?” she groused. 

 

Nick shrugged a shoulder, clearly holding no words of wisdom. “At a guess? Maybe because you were on ice. Might have altered it in your system or something.” 

 

She gestured to the back. “Let’s just get this over with. The sooner we have answers, the sooner I might be able to go home and kick back for a bit.” 

 

“I’ll wait here.” MacCready said. 

 

“Taking her home?” Nick asked. 

 

He said nothing, nodding slowly. Nick didn’t look away from where he was walking, but he could sense her apprehension. “Don’t mind him. He’s a good shot and a decent guy beside.” 

“I’m not worried about him. I’m good now, I won’t miss again.” she told him. 


	9. Chapter 9

Home. It was more of a relief to be back in Sanctuary than she ever felt before. It had been nearly a month since she left, and it felt just shy of forever. Rest was the first thing on her mind, though she wasn’t tired. MacCready had been kind enough to haul her ass on his back the last stretch, letting her catch a nap while he carried her. A lot more dedicated to his job than she expected, considering how many mercs would just as soon put a bullet in their boss and take everything they had. Kareena caught a quick shower, changing for comfort, a pair of shorts and an only slightly damaged black tank top, perfect for drawing on the warmth of the day while she got to work. Normally, she might well have been content to let her power armor sit a little longer, but the Glowing Sea was her next destination, and she was sure there wasn’t enough RadAway in the ‘Wealth to handle it as well as she could with a change of attire and this beauty. 

 

Sturges stood to her left, occasionally handing her a tool or a drink as needed, making adjustments to the helmet for her. He teasingly nudged her shoulder, a lazy grin spreading widely across his face. 

 

“Could always try to paint her up real pretty in pink for ya.” he said. 

 

Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, trying to imagine it, shaking her head finally. “Nah. If it’s gonna be pink, it needs detailing. Black stripes like the ol’ racers. Better yet, I’d love it in a pearlescent pink, mod the hatch to open like a Diavolo…” 

 

Sturges cocked his head, watching the strange look on her face. Maybe he imagined it, but that was the same face she made when he found the sweet spot on her neck, her massive weak point. Was it the talk of the Power Armor, or some old world car that had her looking like she was about to wet her shorts? 

 

“Not familiar with that one, hon.” he admitted, sweeping his hand to the back of his neck. 

 

Her eyes went wide, like she couldn’t believe he’d never heard of it before. She crossed the driveway, bent low over a chest that functioned like a catch all for her books and other things she considered meaningful. Her hips danced side to side while she rummaged through her treasures, and damned if he hadn’t forgotten what she was doing. He frowned the longer he followed her leg with his eyes, landing squarely on the marks cut into her leg, marks that definitely weren’t there before she left. It wasn’t that he was put off, more that he was upset about it, whatever trouble she had gotten into to wind up like that. Her body jumped triumphantly, returning him from his thoughts, eyeing the book she held up. 

 

“Whacha got there?” he wondered. 

 

She hastily flipped through the pages, sucking in her lower lip with a sigh of want that was very nearly a moan if he ever heard one. She rose up, rushing to his side, nearly smashing into him, thrusting the book out towards him. He took it from her, looking it over, intent on taking a look at the specs, but she was right. It was quite a sight, the lines and curves unlike any car he had ever seen, either in books or in person. Then again, most didn’t run anymore anyway. This one though, looked like it could easily be adapted to run on a fusion core with a little work. Too bad it wasn’t like he could just rush out and get one, imagine the look on her face. 

“Ever see one?” he asked, leaning against her, arm propped on her shoulder. 

 

“I wish. My daddy had a ‘Vega. Pretty common sight around here. Before my brother, we used to go down to the drive-in and catch a movie once a week.” she sighed thoughtfully. “Used to put me on his lap and let me drive sometimes, Mom caught him once, and boy did he catch hell for it.” 

 

She closed the book when he handed it back to her, setting it carefully on the ground. She held out her hand, her smile brighter then. He passed her a wrench, his hand lingering a moment before he returned to the helmet. Kareena glanced past the armor, watching the people milling past, a few unexpected faces passing. Hancock, Piper and a face she was pretty sure was that same drifter she saw in Goodneighbor, the one from Diamond City. 

 

“We got new settlers while I was gone?” she asked. 

 

“Yep, a few. Don’t worry too much though, Preston helped me out with finding beds, and I added in a new purifier, thought that was the least we could do.” he said. 

 

The chest plate slipped away before she could catch it, barely pulling back her feet in time to miss getting her toes smashed. Grumbling under her breath, she scooped it up, trying to hold it in place long enough to figure out how to get it reattached like this. Sturges looked down, quickly reaching to hold it for her. She fixed it in place, his hand moving away, patting her head lightly. 

 

“Thanks for the help.” she said. 

 

“Anytime.” he beamed. “Wish it was longer, but I’m still glad you’re back.” 

 

“Missed me, did you?” she teased. 

 

“Ain’t the same without you around. You just kinda...brighten up the place, I guess. Heck, I ain’t even the only one who missed ya.” he admitted. 

 

She stared down at her shoes quietly, her nose scrunching up slightly. Wouldn’t be so bad to stay, if she could. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one waiting on the answers the Glowing Sea had for her, there was also Maxson, and by default, Danse. Hell, a lot of people probably wanted to know. Her success meant possibly finding a way into the Institute, and that was some valuable information. 

 

“I’ll try to hang around longer next time, then. I’m liking the idea of spending at least two days just sleeping, but there’s a lot I miss besides just my bed.” she sighed, kneading her shoulder. 

 

He frowned at the gesture, taking note of the tension visible in her muscles. It was obvious she hadn’t had much time to rest lately. Not to mention there were bags under her eyes that weren’t there before. A trace of something in her eyes he knew all too well, a look that said she had seen things she wasn’t prepared for. Despite that, her makeup had been touched up, her eyes freshly lined in crisp, neat black, purple shadowing her amber eyes, and her lips a clean, light pink. She was pretty as a picture, exhausted and sweaty or not. This was a world vastly different from hers, he heard all the comments, made worse when she was absent. Part of him wondered if things had been different, if poor Nate would have had his hands full keeping the guys off his doorstep. Then again, if they hadn’t changed, she wouldn’t have given him a second look, he was sure of it. A sweet thing like her should have had the world handed to her, a nice guy that could offer her only the best, that Diavolo she wanted to see so badly. It was a horrible thought, but maybe he should be glad that things turned out this way. Working side by side like this? If not for her, it would be Preston helping him, and not to knock his friend, but he wasn’t near as easy on the eyes. 

 

“Up to you, girl. I can seal up the helmet a bit more to make it a bit sturdier to the rads, but ya won’t be able to take it off unless you get out if I do.” he said. 

 

She thought it over for a moment, finally refusing. “I’d go for it, but I found a hazmat suit from before the war, still pristine. If I need a break, I’ll bust that out. Short of another nuke, I think that baby’ll handle it just fine. Of course, I think I’ll stick to the armor. I have no idea what’s out there.” 

 

He shrugged at that. “Alrighty then, ma’am, you’re all set.” He glanced around, making sure no one was in view, pinching her ass quick. “I’ve got a few more things to handle, but I’ll be here.” 

 

He liked the way she jumped and squealed, lips parting in surprise. She playfully swatted at his arm, and he exaggerated it a bit for her, laughing to himself as he walked away. This world didn’t make ‘em as down to earth as him anymore, too bad for anyone not living around these parts. Her eyes narrowed curiously, that same man from before halting in the middle of the road. Was he looking at her, or through her? She couldn’t tell, but there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach. He was no simple drifter, that’s what her gut was saying. Still though, he kept a distance, looked away, walked off like nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Quickly enough, she managed to put him out of her thoughts, like he was little more than a shadow, maybe she had imagined the entire thing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit late, but the Railroad will be around soon enough.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AKA the chapter where SS is actually depressed, and Sturges is just a big ol' sweetheart.

Kareena busied herself packing for the trip, mentally going over everything she thought she’d need. Danse’s voice echoed in her head, reminding her to pack the appropriate supplies, and not the ‘junk’ she tended to gather. Sighing to herself, she emptied out anything that wasn’t essential, grumbling as she did. Even on her break, when he was nowhere in sight, he  _ still _ found a way to order her around. Thoroughly distracted, she missed the sound of the door, absorbed in her process until she felt a pair of firm hands squeezing her shoulders. She groaned, her head falling to her chest, hearing a quiet chuckle behind her. 

 

“God…” she managed. 

 

“Sturges, but I’ll take a compliment.” he joked. 

 

He lifted her easily, dropping her to the bed, draping her legs over his lap. He tugged her boots off, shaking his head. “No more for now. You ain’t leaving until tomorrow, right? Ya don’t come back often, take a load off.” 

 

Kareena was about to protest, until his fingers dug firmly into her calves. Her body was in full panic at the sudden relief, like it could no longer remember how it felt to relax. It felt like she was melting, falling back into the pillows with another, louder groan. He won this round, she didn’t have much left to pack anyway, not more than a few minutes, if she really focused on it. Sturges brought his hands lower, her toes spreading appreciatively to the attention. Her mother used to try and persuade her father to rub her feet, and she had never understood why until that very moment. 

 

“You’re going to spoil me. Someday it’ll be quiet out here, and here i’ll be, using you as a footrest, that’s not very fair. Besides, didn’t we agree I owed  _ you _ for that help?” she reminded him. 

 

He smiled, turning his gaze towards her for a moment. “I’m collecting right now, matter of fact. You’ve been away, workin’ hard. Maybe, jus’ maybe, you won’t take so long to come back next time.” 

 

Well, who was she to complain about that? She pushed herself up against the pillows, stretching to examine her toes for a moment, her nose wrinkling with a heavy sigh. Her polish was chipping, and the last touch up she had was far longer than it should have been. The only option she really had was the paint she touched up her power armor with. Not exactly the classiest of options, but since when was she actually classy about anything these days? The old her would probably never have felt that strange satisfaction she got from splattering raiders and muties across the pavement, or that thrill when she managed the impossible, a long shot through a wall. Hell, back in her time, sneaking back in without getting caught was enough to make her heart race. Not that she ever did anything worth getting excited over, mostly just sneaking out to the river after dark with her friends, their names and faces long since forgotten. 

 

This place was rotten from a moral standpoint, but then again, it really couldn’t be helped. Maybe it was just because she felt invincible, but if she had to choose between russian roulette and sitting around doing absolutely anything she used to do, she’d take the chance of a bullet in her head without hesitation. Not healthy by any means, and there were always alternatives, might be less danger in participating in one of Hancock’s famous ragers than spending a day anywhere in her vicinity. 

 

“Tell me more.” he said, yanking her from her thoughts. “About you, what it was like, I mean.” 

 

He certainly had a way about him. No one else had really bothered to ask, and that was fine. Normally, she was content to ignore the past like it never happened, but with him, it was a welcome distraction. Still, she had no idea what to say, small talk wasn’t her strong point, and wasn’t it always the truth that it felt strange to talk about yourself in such a way? Like you were your own hype man, and she got enough of that with Diamond City Radio, not that they ever attributed anything to her, it was obvious. 

 

“Oh...uh...what do you want to know? I’m sorry, I’m no good at this.” she muttered, twisting anxiously at her braids. 

 

“Whatever you wanna share. If ya really can’t think of anything, just...I dunno, whatever comes to mind.” he sighed, clearly realizing he was no better at it. 

 

Her nose wrinkled, squeezing her eyes in an almost jerky blink, sweeping the deepest recesses of her mind for anything, like sifting through a dump for any hint of something with even the most remote value. Her lips pursed together, not thinning, but more of a pout verging on seeking a very middle school kiss. 

 

“Uhh...Well, if you ignore the freeze, I’m 18, birthday march 20, first day of spring. Always a bouquet of pink roses waiting for me when I got home, chocolate cake, meatloaf for dinner. Things like that.” 

 

She frowned at the way her words matched her stream of consciousness, word association style, jumping in the way they did. It was hardly human, at least to her. What person that hadn’t recently learned to speak talked that way unless it was on the couch of a therapist? 

 

“Hated my name growing up, so for the longest time, I told everyone my name was Kay. Best friend was Sandy Martin, first kiss was Robert Grey, freshman year. Favorite color was “Hot Rod Red”, like the old Vega.” her words cut off, staring across the room like she had lost something. That was a long time ago, another life, and it was bizarre to once more realize that everyone she had ever known, save for that Vault-tec guy was long gone. “Always was a sucker for blue eyes…” she laughed nervously, finally falling silent. 

 

Sturges seemed to pick up on the tension, letting go of her foot to snag her into a rough embrace, trapping her head in the crook of his arm, knuckles resting gently on her head. “Smile for me, missy or so help me, I’ll do it!” he threatened. 

 

Kareena squirmed, trying to pull away, knowing what he was talking about. She forced a smile, and he let up, his features relaxing, enough to make it real. He could have been in movies, not perfect, but handsome, a face that really belonged on the screen, the kind that would have made girls melt. Still, it wasn’t just that, he was just a real thoughtful, friendly, down to earth guy, she wasn’t sure how she felt about thinking he was the very definition of the big brother type, considering they hadn’t exactly had a very family friendly relationship, but it was the best way she could think to describe him. 

 

“There we go. That’s much better....” he sighed. “Girl like you is too pretty to frown.” 

 

Sturges let up on her, ruffling her hair, placing a light kiss on her brow. She turned to face him, gripping his wrists tightly. For a moment, he worried he had somehow upset her, and she wasn’t quite sure what had made her so forceful either. She collapsed against his chest, her head heavy on his shoulder, depositing his arms around her. Her breath was warm, light, and right on his neck. She was soft, somehow creeping into every empty space he felt he had, more vulnerable than she allowed herself to be with anyone else. Her walls were growing by the day, and she dragged, weighed down far more than her small frame should allow for, with the weight of time, and a world that wasn’t hers heavy on her shoulders. 

 

For her sake, it would be nice if the world could fix itself so she didn’t have to, but that wouldn’t happen, unfortunately, she was needed.  His job was a simple one where she was involved, just be on her side and do what he could to support her, she had few enough people she could afford to keep close enough to trust. 

 

“Carla’s gonna be here this evening. I’ll see if Preston’ll throw in to get you some stims for the road, aright?” he offered. 

 

“You really don’t have to, it’s not as though I get hurt very often.” she told him. 

 

His hand shifted lower, dipping under her shorts, running his fingers over the scars. “I don’t mean to sound like I’m callin’ ya a liar, but...seems like that may not be as true as ya think.” 

 

She sighed, hiding her face against his throat like she was trying to run from his words. “I guess I can’t win against you. Do what you think is best, but there’s no need to go out of your way for me.” 

 

“Little girl, you should know there ain’t one person here that wouldn’t lay down their life to keep you goin’. That ain’t gonna change.” he said, squeezing her shoulders gently. 

 

That was the problem. It was almost a relief that she’d be setting off alone, no one else to worry about, just her. For all she knew, she could be wrong about the rads, could get ripped apart by some irradiated deathclaw, and left for dead in the middle of the Glowing Sea, and that was fine with her, so long as no one else had to run the risk of joining her. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's dangerous to go alone, take this!
> 
> AKA, the chapter where Kareena doesn't get to go to the Glowing Sea alone, and is actually glad for it.

She stood on the edge, leaned against a wall of rock. Taking a sip of the Nuka Cola in her hand, an added gift to the package Sturges and Preston had sent her with. Kareena had really been more of a coffee and tea girl before, but right now, she was savoring that drink like a death row inmate, and this was the last pleasure she’d have before her death. The thick fog of radiation was menacing, almost like she could just reach out and touch it, not that she wanted to. That was the point of this brief break, to enjoy what just might be her last real decision left to her. From here, it didn’t  _ look _ like there was anything at all out there, like everything once standing had been reduced to ash and blown away by a fickle gust of wind, but she knew better. Life had somehow managed to carry on after the bomb, and even the emptiest of places carried threats she never dreamed of. She polished off her drink, checking the vaguely suggestive mark on her map, there were no solid locations, only a flag that seemed to say ‘ _ Could be here, maybe?’.  _

 

_ If _ she found this Virgil character, she was fully braced to give him an earful for making him scour a place like this to hunt him down, except she couldn’t. He was just trying to live, and Kellogg was reason enough to run away, in her mind. Climbing back into her armor, she took only one step before she dropped off a sheer rock face, landing with a heavy thud, a string of uncharacteristic curses ranging from ‘ugh, fucking piece of shit rocks’ to more descriptive words aimed at the likely long dead jerks who caused this whole mess. ‘Thank fuck for shock absorbers…’ she thought, unsure if God still existed in a world like this, and having no other clue who or what to show her gratitude to. 

 

“It’s a tactical disadvantage to wander alone, soldier.” a stern voice said. 

 

“Shoulda known I wasn’t going to sneak off that easily…” she sighed. 

 

“I’m not sure why you’d bother coming out here, but I’m not about to let you go alone.” he said, his tone inviting no discussion on the matter. 

 

She stood straighter, clearing her throat, attempting her best impression of him. “This is a critical mission, soldier. We’re out here hunting down a rogue Institute scientist. We find him, we get what we need from him at all costs. This means not killing him, no matter what.” 

 

She coughed a few times, the strain of trying to sound like him rough on her throat. Danse didn’t seem to appreciate the imitation, but he said nothing about it, instead, taking a few steps closer. 

 

“Sounds like valuable intel. Do you have any idea where to look for this scientist?” he asked. 

 

Kareena gestured into the distance, frowning, though he couldn’t see it. “Way the hell out that way, from the map marker. No surprise, I can’t see anyone even stepping into this crap, let alone bothering to go out that far. Look, this is going to sound insane, but I don’t even know if he’s still alive. I don’t know a thing about him aside from him being here, a name, and previous...occupation, let’s say.” 

 

“Is there a point to asking how you came upon this information?” he wondered. 

“Killed someone, and took a part of his brain to Goodneighbor to search for a lead on finding my little brother.” she said, realizing it sounded bad. 

 

“I’m starting to see what takes you so long to report in. I should remind you of your committment, but I’ll save it. You figure out _anything_ about the Institute, that’s more than what we already know, it’s invaluable information.” he said. 

 

To say the terrain was rough was the understatement of the week, and while they were making progress quickly enough, it was still uncomfortable to be out here, with less than clear vision. 

 

“Permission to speak freely, Paladin?” she asked cautiously. 

 

“Granted.” he answered, firing at a radscorpion closing in on them. 

 

“I...it’s good to see you. I was set to deal with this alone, but honestly...I’m glad you’re here.” she told him, blasting another scorp that had popped up. “I missed you, I guess is what I’m saying.” 

 

There was a tense few minutes of silence, and he seemed to either be ignoring her completely, or thinking about it. Normally, she would have stopped to check the carcasses for anything useful, sometimes even finding caps, for whatever reason, but she didn’t want to be out here any longer than she had to, invested in the idea of a hot shower and a long nap when she was done, before she set out for her next objective. 

 

“I hope you realize I wouldn’t come out here for just anyone. Take from that what you will.” he answered finally, a hint of embarrassment in his tone that gave her plenty to read into. 

 

That was probably his way of saying he missed her too, at least that was how she was choosing to interpret it. Danse wasn’t exactly great with anything that wasn’t Brotherhood business, and that included expressing himself plainly. That was part of his charm, that and his very surprising willingness to ‘try new things’. 

 

“I almost believed that what I saw out there was the worst of it. If the rest of the world looks like this…” she sighed. “What was the point? Did it really have to come to  _ this? _ ” 

 

She paused to check that they were still heading in the right direction, trying to make out anything besides collapsed roads and the occasional destroyed building. There were voices in the distance, quiet, but there. People actually were out here. Actual voices, not the animalistic sound of ferals, but actual people. She wasn’t proud, it didn’t hurt to ask for directions. 

 

“I’m keeping the safety off, just in case…” Danse said. 

 

“You actually keep it on?” she asked incredulously. “Maybe it’s just because I remember what it was like when it was still…” she couldn’t think of the word, letting her words hang before she continued. “I never put the safety on. Call me a coward if you like, but there’s just so many threats…” 

 

“I’m sorry. It must be rough for you.” he said almost sympathetically. 

 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s only been a few months, I’m not ready to give up yet. Get back to me this time next year, and maybe I’ll be sick of it.”she joked. 

 

A bit dark even for her, now that it left her mouth. Stopping, she looked down to the small settlement. Nevermind asking for directions, these people seemed delusional, the rads had probably screwed with their minds, and maybe it was better not to take the risk after all…

 

“Children of Atom.” Danse clarified. “Cult of fanatics. Wise choice to avoid them…” 

 

The snuck around the crater as best as they could, managing somehow not to catch their attention. Good news being that they were drawing closer to the location, though it still wasn’t clear what they were looking for. Kareena turned to face him, walking backwards, slow though, in the hopes that if she was about to tumble off another ledge, she’d feel the edge and be able to correct it in time to not fall. The crackle of lightning indicated it was getting worse out, and if they didn’t find him soon enough, they’d have to seek shelter again until it passed. The light from her headlamp darkened, unsure why. 

 

“Watch out!” Danse shouted, gun raised. 

 

The warning came a moment too late, a heavy impact enough to knock her over, on her again, a sharp piercing sensation digging into her shoulders, and there was warmth. Her leg came up, and the heavy pressure disappeared. Taking the chance, she rolled to her back, digging for her Gauss Rifle, actually glad for Vault-tec at that moment, if only because the targeting system was mostly consistent and even in hard to see conditions like these, offered decent accuracy. Aiming for its head, she aimed, firing off several quick blasts, enough to stun it, allowing Danse to get in a few more shots while she reloaded. Together, they managed to bring it down fairly quickly, Danse extending an arm to help her up. 

 

Her face twisted in pain, hidden under the helmet. They were this close now though, and there was no way in hell she was turning around just yet. That didn’t stop Danse from trying to change her mind. 

 

“We need to get out of here. That thing ripped through your armor. I’m not making suggestions, Knight, you’re bleeding pretty heavily.” he warned. 

 

“Look, there’s a cave. We can check there, if he’s not in there, we’ll go. Good enough? I brought a Vertibird signal, it ain’t going to kill me to wait a little…” she argued. 

 

“Then give me the signal, and a destination. I’ll wait for it out here. You have ten minutes, max. Finish your business.  _ Ten minutes,  _ then I come in after you, understood?” he said sternly. 

 

She handed it over without complaint, the pain enough to make her rethink her sarcasm. “Diamond City. Don’t ask. I’ll explain later…” 

 

“Fine. Your time is wasting, get going.” he reminded her. 


	12. Chapter 12

Kareena sat up slowly, trying to mentally patch together what happened. Virgil  _ had _ been in that cave, took a bit of convincing to assure him she wasn’t some Institute heavy trying to take him out on the sly. He was amenable to discussion when she informed him she took Kellogg out personally, but whether it was the loss of blood or she was surprised to discover he was a super mutant, it took her longer than it should have to explain what she sought him out for. 

 

“Need to get into the Institute, they took my little brother, the last family I have…” she finally settled on. She didn’t like exposing her vulnerabilities so easily, but it was the easiest way to get him to open up. 

 

She was glad Danse waited outside, needed or not, she had a feeling he would have had a case of itchy trigger finger. That was a situation she didn’t need at that time, not to mention, he would definitely have had a problem with the terms of him sharing his information.  _ If _ she managed to get into the Institute, after killing the Courser to pull it off, of course, she had to get something from his old lab for him. She could have just lied, said she would and then told him later that she couldn’t find it, but if she was already going in, what would it hurt to actually grab it? Besides, that meant securing time to poke around, and that was fine with her. Might take time to find Shaun anyway, and the more she could learn and memorize about it was an advantage for everyone. Looking around, she couldn’t remember how she got here, but it had to be Danse, she had to have told him where to go, this was her home, they were in Diamond City. None of her companions had been in here yet, and in fact, she hadn’t even told anyone she had even bought the place. 

 

There was no pain, and her bed was about as clean as it ever was, no traces of blood on it. He must have taken care of her, her power armor visible in the station downstairs. The springs creaked slowly, but loudly, and she cursed them in her mind, wanting a bit longer to make observations before alerting him. Danse came up the steps, pressing a hand to her brow to check. Her color had returned, and her fever was down, that was good. 

 

“I was prepared to stitch you up again, but I noticed you had a kit on the table. Took about a dozen stimpacks.” he explained. “No Radaway though, had to scout the market, the Doctor isn’t a very pleasant man. And that Solomon, I don’t trust him.” 

 

“Solomon sells chems, but sometimes I get a discount. Helped him hunt down some supplies a few times, so I restock with him on occasion, saves me some caps. Doc Sun is always salty. Moreso because whenever I come back, he realizes that at some point, I’m going to drop by and interrupt his lunch.” she told him. 

 

“I’m glad you’re alright…” he interrupted, his words a bit more honest than he expected, judging by his expression. “If I hadn’t decided to follow...that deathclaw could have…” 

 

She decided against telling him that she fully expected not to make it to Virgil, or that the reason she was prepared to go was that no one she had come to care about should have to get hurt because of her. Instead, she opted for a bit of forced arrogance.

 

“What? You think I can’t take a Deathclaw by myself? Should talk to Garvey sometime. He’ll tell you. Fought my first one the same day I rolled out of the vault. Holed up in a building, bastard couldn’t fit through the door, so I fired up the minigun and pumped him full of holes.” she huffed proudly. 

 

Danse knew it was an attempt to deflect, choosing not to call her bluff. “I know you’re a good shot. You’re so stubborn, when you die it’ll be two years until you stop arguing and get in your grave.” 

 

“Pssh. Just two? More like ten. Then I’ll spend another ten arguing over the location.” she said with a shrug. 

 

Danse sat on the edge of the bed by her, the mattress sagging slightly at the added weight. He said nothing for a time, his hand hovering above her head like he was debating with himself what was proper. She felt the warm weight when he set his hand on her head finally, fingers slipping through her hair slowly. Her braids were undone, her hair stretched in long waves, but whether he had done it or the bands had broken (again), she couldn’t say for sure. Her eyes slowly closed, inclining her head towards his touch in a very feline way. For a moment, he wondered if he scratched along her back if she’d react the same, bumping her hips back and stretching lazily to it. 

 

“So, I take it you found Virgil. What’s the word?” he asked, changing the subject. 

 

Kareena wasn’t about to tell him all the details, no need to make him question it. She slumped over, draping her legs over the edge of the bed, her head resting on his thigh. Normally he would have discouraged it, but she still didn’t look completely back to normal, and it wasn’t like they were surrounded by people who could see them. That and some part of him found it enjoyable, having her this close again, this comfortable around him. 

 

“He volunteered the information once he was sure I wasn’t sent to kill him. Problem is, it’s not as simple as having him spill their secrets. I have to work for it if I want this. Have to hunt down and kill a Courser and get the chip from the body, he says it’s the only way to get in. Hijack their relay signal so when they try to beam him back, they take me instead.” she explained. “I’m not completely sure, but if the name ‘molecular relay’  means what I think it does, it’s going to Willy Wonka my ass.” she realized the reference would go over his head, probably, deciding to clarify. “Break me down into a million pieces and reassemble me in the Institute.” 

 

He said nothing about it, but she felt the tension in his hand, his gentle strokes against her head slowing briefly. His fingers danced over her neck, her shoulder, her cheek, then down and over her lips before returning to her hair. He liked the way she shivered, her cheeks flushing, though he couldn’t quite explain why. 

 

“Courser...assuming he told you how to track one down, I’m  _ definitely _ not letting you go alone. You’re not recovered enough for this yet, so we’ll plan it out as best as we can, get a decent night’s rest, and set out first thing in the morning.” he decided. 

 

The corners of her mouth rose briefly in an almost sarcastic grin, and he knew what was coming next, that was her ‘You just invited this yourself’ look. 

 

“You sure it’s just ‘cause I’m not fully recovered, and not because you’re thinking about spending the night in bed with me?” she asked. 

 

He blushed, and she laughed. He shot her a serious look, one that he hoped look just angry enough to stop her from pointing out what happened the last time they were alone together for any meaningful length of time, but it didn’t help. 

 

“That...that’s not exactly appropriate, Knight.” he stammered, looking away finally. 

 

“I have a pair of handcuffs that beg to differ. Of course, if you’re not up for it, you’re not up for it. Sleep is fine too.” she said, grinning wickedly. 

 

Danse tugged nervously at his collar, his throat bobbing with how hard he swallowed. Aww, back to the unsure, shy Danse, cute, but still, there was some part of him that really seemed to like being in charge and reminding her of that.

 

“Let’s just figure this out first. If there’s time later...then we’ll see.” he said noncommittally, the red staining his cheeks, all the way up to his ears suggesting he was searching more for a distraction to take his mind off  _ that subject _ . 

 

“That’s fine, I have a little business to see to around the market before we set out anyway.” she sighed. 

 

“What kind of business?” he asked, a hint of something she couldn’t place in his tone. 

 

“I need to see Arturo, heard he got a new mod that Daddy is just itching to try out. Was going to check in with Nick as well, always like to let someone know where I’ll be in case something happens. Might see about getting my hair touched up too…” she explained. 

 

“First, you know I’ll be with you, is it really necessary to talk to that synth?” he mumbled. “Second, I’m sure your hair can wait...and lastly, do I dare ask what ‘Daddy’ is?” 

 

She sighed, nuzzling against his thigh for a moment, pulling a surprised huff from him, his hand gently gripping the nape of her neck to keep her still. “I guess I don’t  _ need _ to see Nicky, if things get tough, I can always hide behind you, big guy.” she said with a chuckle. “I suppose my hair can wait also, not like they usually stock pink dye anyway, it’ll give me a chance to decide if I should just go with a different color entirely. Maybe blonde? Maybe red? Hmm…” 

 

Danse stared down at her, trying to imagine her as a blonde or a redhead, so used to seeing her like this, that it was practically impossible to picture. Not to say it wouldn’t look good, it might, only that he couldn’t see it in his head. 

 

“I’ll show you what I mean by Daddy later. It’s just a weapon I’ve been improving on for awhile. It’s a bit of a joke…” she muttered, a hint of embarrassment in her tone. “Y’know, it’s a...well, that’s not important, it’s...ehh, a dirty joke, we’ll leave it at that.” 

 

It made sense at the time, when she was building it up, had even drawn a few laughs when some of her friends saw the name carved into the side, they had gotten the joke, but to have to explain it to Danse, it felt strange. Plus, she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea about her. 

 

“What kind of mod is it?” he asked, again changing the subject. 

 

“New barrel, old one got damaged, this one is supposed to be better. Arturo said I should be able to hit even the smallest target from nearly 630 feet away. I can’t wait to test it out…” she purred. 

 

There was something about her reaction to it that sent a tingle rushing down his spine, though he wasn’t about to let her in on that. Instead, he lightly scratched at her scalp, offering an approving smile. “Good girl.” 

 

Kareena checked the time, regretfully moving to sit up. “I should go pick it up before he closes for the night. I’ll be back in a few minutes, we’ll talk strategy, I’ll find something to eat and we can go from there.” 

 

“I’ll be here.” he told her, watching her hop down instead of using the stairs. 

 

That girl had no idea how to play it safe, but it wasn’t like such a short gap was enough to hurt her. It just put him on edge a little, she wasn’t exactly the cautious type. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I fudged the details with Virgil a bit, my bad. Also, I know Willy Wonka is a reference that likely wouldn't be made, considering the time frame, but...


	13. Chapter 13

Danse sighed, glancing over to her. Her skin was beaded in sweat, flushed a delicious shade of pink, still panting into the pillow, coming down from the aftershocks of what must have been her fifth orgasm. Had he been a little more patient, he would have kept at it until she begged him to stop, if only because it was a little bit frustrating to be tempted so readily into a situation like this so quickly. He had a feeling it would  _ eventually _ be impossible to resist crossing that boundary again, but he at least thought he’d hold out a lot longer than he did. She turned onto her back, her chest slowing to an easier rise and fall than it had been a bit ago. Along her neck, her shoulders, and even the space between her breasts, she was covered in reddened bite marks, her hips and waist, bruising where his fingers had dug in a bit too firmly, her lips swollen from far too hungry kisses. She was lovely at the best of times, but now, there was something to the way she looked right then that made her seem even more so. They were supposed to be resting, getting some sleep so they’d be in peak condition for their hunt tomorrow, and indeed, she looked completely spent. 

 

Not so much for him, half-hard again already. Wincing slightly, she moved to lean against his side, her fingers brushing along his thigh, tracing his length slowly. 

 

“You don’t have to do that, soldier.” he sighed, twisting a lock of her hair between his fingers thoughtfully. “You should get some sleep.” 

 

“Consider it a sign of gratitude, or somethin’” she mumbled. 

 

Her fingers curled half-way around, not long enough to wrap around fully, slow in her movements. It rarely took much effort for her to provoke his full arousal, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that it wasn’t more than a minute before she had him completely hard, and a minute more before he was grinding against her hand. He was learning she was more than willing to follow his whims, but even so, he wasn’t about to tell her he wanted her again, there was no sense in completely exhausting her, she was already responding in an almost painfully sensitive way the last round. Her pip-boy was playing some song he hadn’t heard before, deviating from the DC radio that was usually piping through the city, for some station he was unfamiliar with, enough of a distraction long enough that he failed to notice her head dip down, lips spreading around him, pressed down against her hand, her hair tickling along his stomach and thighs. 

 

Danse hissed out through his teeth, his hands buried in her hair in an instant, splayed along her head. This was maybe only the third time she had worked him over with her tongue, and she had practically mastered it, knowing what prompted the strongest reactions from him, her tongue darting expertly in some places, slow, lingering in others. It was this time, however, that he would silently learn to be grateful for her love of music, her head bobbing in time with the rhythm of the song, humming out the tune around him, the sound vibrating through his cock in a way that had him practically yanking her hair, hips rocking against her. She struggled to adjust to the way he pushed deeper against her throat, but managed to compensate. Somehow he had figured she’d shy away from it, considering how not more than thirty minutes ago, he had her screaming his name when she came against him. 

 

He had initially questioned her personal taste the first time he noticed her jewelry, but he had a sense that it was adding to the feeling. Danse freed a hand from her hair, reaching to pinch and twist her nipple, prompting a muffled moan. His other hand shifted from the top of her head to grasp the back of her neck, guiding her the way he wanted, harder, faster, then slower. If she was bothered by it, she didn’t let it show, his head dropped against his chest, gasping and panting almost shamefully. His fingers flexed, tightening his hold on her, his words nearly choked in his own throat. 

 

“ _ Fuck _ , right there…” he growled. 

 

Not that she’d ever admit it, but she liked hearing him swear like that. He was so strict and buttoned down most of the time, it was a sure sign she was doing something right. Plus, the hoarse way he said it was thrilling in its way. She took his guidance, her cheeks hollowing as she paused where he indicated, sucking firmly, until he took control again. She felt the way he throbbed and pulsed, knew he wouldn’t manage to hold out much longer, his panting louder, more urgent, increasing in frequency. He sucked in a sharp breath, exhaling slowly, indulging in the way her hand squeezed his thigh, her nails biting in. 

 

“ _ Kare, slow down, I’m about to cum…”  _ he gasped. 

 

Her face heated up, a sharp jolt of pure lust striking her at his words. He had  _ never _ been quite that explicit before, and said like that, his voice husky, tinged with arousal was almost too much for her. Nearly enough to have her tossing her soreness out the window, ready to go again. He let up on her neck, allowing her to pull back, but not away, slowing obediently, her hand following suit, gripping him tighter, but moving slowly. Twisting his hand through her hair, he pulled firmly as a warning, his eyes squeezed shut, groaning heavily, warm spurts hitting the back of her throat. She backed away slowly, sweeping the last drops free, covering her mouth with the heel of her palm, looking away from him. Her freckle-dappled cheeks were full red by that point, discreetly wetting her lips before she let her hand fall back to her lap. She lazily moved to stretch back out, her arms tucking under the pillow, Danse moving to follow suit, an arm draping over her slender waist, drawing her almost protectively closer before he had a chance to process what he was doing. Her tags jingled together slightly when he shifted her against his chest, whining softly at the movement. 

 

“We should definitely call it here, no more distractions, if we don’t sleep now, we’ll have to delay setting out until afternoon…” he sighed, more directed to himself than to her. 

 

He wasn’t even sure they  _ could _ delay, there was no telling how long the Courser they were after would be around, and it helped no one, least of all her, to put it off. Who knew how long it would take to find it, and he guessed it wasn’t going to stick around waiting for them...


	14. In My Web

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Observation can be helpful...

****

He silently tailed the woman from a safe distance, always safe, always far enough to keep her from noticing, but not far enough away that he couldn’t pick up on the smaller details. It had been like this for awhile now, and so far it had served him well. She’d never know just how close he had gotten, how much he had learned about her just by watching. He cared little for the tin can following her, Brotherhood of Steel, never went anywhere without his precious power armor. Scolding her for not wearing hers, though if she cared any about it, she didn’t let it show, or rather she did, behind a careless shrug of her shoulders and an easy smile. 

 

He watched her poke around the ruins of the CIT building, fidgeting with her pip-boy impatiently, looking like an old world tourist in an unfamiliar city. It was almost time, surely she’d have no choice but to seek them out soon, and he’d get the proper introduction he’d been waiting for this whole time. He kept an eye out for anything of interest, and it was  _ all _ interest, while mentally going over things in his mind. He’d been in the vault while she was on ice, had observed her for a moment, looking the very picture of dead and gone, her skin all frosted and crystallized, had poked through the records enough to compose the basics. Name, age, etc. He’d gone out and  _ waited _ for her to come out, and he was far from disappointed when she did, strapped with a simple peashooter, practically poured into the vault suit she strolled out in, heading for the last place her chilled brain recognized as ‘home’. Wandered back home shortly after, a smiling pup prancing at her heels. Leave it to her to find the  _ one _ dog that the rads hadn’t mutated in some way. Returned again with a group of people in tow, fixed up the place a bit. 

 

He had been close enough to know more than most, the kind of shampoo she used, the soap that smelled a bit like honey, her toes painted a sparkly red. Knew she sang in the shower when she was sure no one was watching, knew she even cried in the rain, a very poetic thing. Smart too, blends in, can’t tell what’s happening unless someone got right up to her face, they rarely did. Crazy accurate with a gun, but held back if it looked like someone could be talked down, and damn did she have a silver tongue. He was convinced she could talk anyone out of anything, if they could be reasoned with. General of the Minutemen, and Knight ranking in the Brotherhood of Steel, she could be a proper asset if used correctly. Saw her in Diamond City, heard all the stories, though it was nothing like seeing much of it himself. 

 

Saw her again a few times in Goodneighbor, first with the synth detective, again later with Hancock himself, and MacCready. Of course, her first time had predictably not been as friendly as she probably expected. First hassled right out the gate, but the mayor dealt with it quickly enough. She vanished a while later, looking roughed up and  _ furious _ , Hancock again at her tail. Came back later spattered head to toe in blood, and popped into the Memory Den sprawled between Nick and MacCready. Definitely wished he had tailed her that time, curious enough to know the story behind it. A cautious bribe later, and Amari spilled the details, that she was heading for the Glowing Sea soon, tailing the only lead she had in finding her kid brother. Admirable, but still, he decided against going to for a stroll through the rads. Instead, he posed as a drifter, taking up residence in Sanctuary to keep up with her movements. 

 

He lost the trail for a time, before he heard she emerged from Diamond City. There were other brief moments of contact in between, but that was largely coincidental. HQ wasn’t pleased that it was taking so long to bring her in, but they were in fact quite happy to have his enthusiastically quick, sharp tongue absent for a time. There were obvious pros and cons to her, and he could already imagine the ideal role for her, even better if she could lay off the ‘run in, guns blazing’ method she preferred. Slap some stealth on her, and guide her in just the right direction, god, she could be legendary. This was all on the assumption she could survive a bout with a Courser. He again bribed Amari ahead of time, if she came sniffing around for help with the chip, she was supposed to divert her towards the Railroad. That might even be enough to get the Can Man to part from her for a while. 

 

He was already wagering with himself on how long she’d last in his company before she’d be begging for a break. Likely. On the assumption she  _ could _ handle him, it was more a question of whether it was right to delay her hunt for her brother. The Railroad needed someone like her, unquestionably, but knowing how the Institute liked to play, if they still had him, it was probably better for her to get him back as soon as possible. One thing he could say about this duo, they worked well together. He was always on alert, had her back and took it seriously, and even when he was barking out orders, she followed them to the letter with only minimal snark. Though even this far away, he could see she was itching to say something, and he was betting it was something plenty worth the discipline. 

 

Giving it a few minutes and a generous amount of gunfire, he followed them into the building, walking the path they had blasted, sprays of blood and bits of grey matter splattering the walls and rails, her taste in decoration was terrible, but at least it was an improvement to the drab color. She hummed cheerfully, hips swaying to the song on the radio, decidedly  _ not _ Diamond City Radio, Travis’ nervously stammered announcements absent from whatever station this was, the music holding more rhythm than the what...30, 40? That DCR played. 

 

“Lighten up Danse! This is fun, right? You, me, good music, the smell of gunpowder and grease, this is practically perfection.” she chirped. 

 

He gave an exasperated sigh before depositing an armored hand loosely on her head, ruffling her hair lightly. “You’re, as always, way too easy going about this. It would be advantageous if you keep your guard up. I’m not a scribe, Knight. I don’t want to have to patch you up yet again.” 

 

“Oh, but you do such a good job…” she said, mock pouting. 

 

Despite the banter, she raised her gun, rounding a corner, firing without looking, the air filled with the sound of exploding turrets and mines, the pained, dying screams of whatever poor fool thought they stood a chance. She danced up a short set of stairs, throwing her head back to howl with the song on the radio, Danse quickly pressing a hand to her mouth to encourage her to try not to be so obvious, but it didn’t stop her. Filing away that wolf-impression in his memory, unsure if it would be useful but fully sure that it _could_ _be_ , he snuck along in the shadows, forced to wait for the elevator to come back down when they hopped in. By the time he got as caught up to them as he cared to be, she was drumming along to a different song, squatting down by the dead courser, pausing her drum solo to dig around for the chip, undeterred by the mess. Predictably, she wiped it down, looking it over, glancing up at the man, easily towering over her. She was wearing regular shoes today, the difference stark. She fell squarely below his ribs, smiling proudly at the piece. 

 

“Alright, one Courser chip, ready to go. If anyone can read this, I’m betting it’ll be Doctor Amari. So, Goodneighbor is our next stop.” she chanted, her words still following the rhythm of the song, though the words didn’t fit in the least. 

 

Well then, if Amari stuck to the script, she’d be seeking them out rather quickly. Reconnaissance duty was over, for the moment. Time to head back to HQ and play the waiting game. Not his favorite, by any stretch, but his role was far from over. Naturally Dez would still be suspicious, and he had to be prepared to convince her this was absolutely beneficial to the cause. This little lady was a definite asset, and based entirely on her observed willingness to help every sob story that crossed her path? She wasn’t about to refuse.  


	15. Chapter 15

Deacon heard the door roll pull open, heard Dez’ skeptical line of questioning. Looked like his time had come. He ambled towards the door, rubbing his palms together eagerly.

 

“So the Courser killer shows up, gotta say that’s a plot twist I wasn’t expecting.” he said by way of greeting. A lie, naturally, he knew she would be backed into a corner, knew she’d come by. 

 

“You’ve heard of her then?” Desdemona questioned. 

 

“ _ Heard of her? Heard of her!  _ She’s kind of a big deal, boss. Should let her in before she gets mad and takes that chip elsewhere.” he warned. 

 

She relented, flicking out her cigarette, waving her to follow. Passing by him, he could see the circles residing under her eyes, knew she hadn’t slept in one, no...two days, based on the state of her hair, her face and the sag of her shoulders. She handed over the chip, not refusing the offer to decode it in exchange for keeping it when they were done, well past arguing then. After several minutes of Tinker Tom’s commentary, he had the information loaded onto a holotape, which she carefully deposited in her bag. Following how it went in his head, Desdemona made the offer he had hoped she would, if she felt like it, she could continue to help them. Kareena, as he had long since learned her name was, though he knew she didn’t like it, based on the slight flinch she responded with when someone called her by name. Hit her ears the wrong way, or maybe it brought back some memory she was trying to bury. 

 

Still, she could have just walked on out, never to return. Which was precisely why he situated himself by the door, so she’d be forced to take notice of him. And she did, her slow shuffle halting abruptly when her eyes fell on him. 

 

“What’s goin’ on? Looking for a little work?’ he asked helpfully. 

 

Dez, Glory and Drummer filed out, leaving them to it. Really, it was probably because they were secretly hoping she’d silence him for good, but they needed him, naturally. She closed the gap between them, that warm smile he knew wasn’t the genuine article, it didn’t reach her eyes. He hadn’t counted on physical contact. She walked two fingers up his chest, before her grip settled on his shoulder, a firm squeeze, but not painful, her head canted to the side. 

 

“Answer me one question first.” she began. 

 

“Sure thing.” he answered. 

 

“Why have you been following me?” she asked. 

 

His blood went cold for a moment, but not enough for him to lose his composure. He’d just have to play it cool. 

 

“I don’t know what you--” he started before she cut him off.

 

“Sanctuary. Diamond City. Goodneighbor. The Memory Den. I’ve  _ seen _ you. I know it’s you.” she challenged. 

 

So he  _ had _ been caught. Damn, he thought he had played it pretty smart, but good on her for seeing through his disguises. Not many could boast that, if anyone else. 

 

“Look, I’ll level with you. I asked around a little, you seemed worthwhile, and so maybe I wanted to see what the story was. Sorry about that.” he said. 

 

He wasn’t sorry, not by a long shot, and he was definitely not about to point out the places she had missed. It wouldn’t sit well with her to know the full truth, that much he was sure about. People were funny about being watched like that. 

 

“So what’s the job.” she asked finally, letting go of him. 

 

Strange how the absence of her warmth was immediately noticed, not that it bothered him much. He fumbled in his pocket for his cigarettes, offering her one. He hadn’t seen her smoke, and as far as he was concerned, she wouldn’t accept. He’d seen her refuse chems and even the occasional innocuous beer before, more prevalent after her trip to Goodneighbor. It was just another test. She plucked one from the pack, snagging his lighter, countering his expectations flawlessly. Her lips curled wonderfully around it, and while he was at least 90% sure he was correct she hadn’t smoked before, he couldn’t tell by looking. She was an observer too then, had watched enough people around her do it to where she could mimic it like a natural. 

 

The plume of smoke rolled from her mouth, and he shrugged it off, lighting his own cigarette before plunging them back into his pocket. Definitely some kind of chameleon-snake hybrid. With a little finesse, she could pull off roles with the best of them, he knew his kind almost like an extra sense by now. 

 

“Let’s take a little walk. Better if you see it for yourself than if I explain it to you.” he said finally. 

 

Heading out together was a definite breach in protocol, and normally he would have sent her on ahead, told her where to meet him. He wanted to test her a little more, find out just how well she reacted to being pushed. He looped his arm through hers, strolling side by side with her out of the tunnel, matching her steady pace. She glanced down at their interlocked limbs, but said nothing about it, not even raising a curious eyebrow. He had seen her handiwork, knew if she felt threatened, she’d put him on the wrong side of her gun. She didn’t reach for it, her fingers didn’t so much as  _ twitch _ . Good, good, she was curious. That was a fine place to start. If they pulled this off without a hitch, she’d work better than anticipated, and with her talent for persuasion… 

 

This woman could have the entire Commonwealth wrapped around her pinky inside of a year. Not more than a few months out of the fridge, she was a ranked member of the Brotherhood of Steel, leading the Minutemen, hell, if she made a move in any direction, he was fairly certain she’d bump into someone that knew her, might even be willing to lick her boots if she smiled. That kind of power was both impressive and dangerous, made more by the fact that he  _ knew _ she was unaware of it herself. They made it a few steps outside before they flicked away their cigs in time with each other. It was strangely uncomfortable, being unsure if she was consciously mirroring him or if it was coincidence. Deacon tapped the edge of her pip-boy slightly, drawing her attention to it. 

 

“Let’s see if we can’t find someplace closer to teleport to.” he said. 

 

She raised her eyebrows curiously at that. “It can  _ do that?! _ ” 

 

“You didn’t know?” he wondered. 

 

Deacon had one of his own somewhere, picked up out of an old, defunct vault, had a chance to fiddle around with it before, but it didn’t suit most of his disguises, so he filed it away in the back of his mind, like everything else. 

 

“No, I wish I had though, could have saved my legs so much strain…” she whined softly. 

 

“You’ll have to keep holding on to my arm, so we don’t get separated, but yea, I’ll show you. We pull this mission off, maybe later you can try to bribe me for a massage.” he said, joking for the most part, but who knew, maybe she  _ could _ figure out how to talk him into it.

 

Kareena held out her arm, her face pleading. He poked and prodded at it, finding a place just outside of where they needed to go anyway, her arm locking tighter around his. He wasn’t generally comfortable with contact, it made him nervous, but she was new, probably nervous, and he didn’t feel nearly as threatened with it as he expected he might. It was a bit of a warm up for him too, without a clue what kind of roles they might need to slip into down the road, he may as well get used to it now while he could. Hell, might even come down to a fistfight if the situation called for it. Ready for  _ anything _ . That was his way of life, always prepared for any eventuality. He gestured up a section of collapsed road, letting go of her arm finally, it was unlikely anyone was watching to question their presence, and the contact was weighing too heavily on his mind. 

 

“Our tourist will be up there, let’s go.” he said. 

 

Her hand rested on her gun, finger curled along the edge. He knew right away she was ready and willing to fire at the first sign of hostile movement, which there could very well be, he couldn’t say. She turned the volume low on the radio, enough to pick up on the beat, but not loud enough to draw attention, drawing her gun, singing under her breath, almost like he wasn’t there. Either she was too quick to trust people, or he was doing a good job of blending in, interrupting her only to explain the various railsigns. Kareena halted abruptly near an abandoned vehicle, firing several rounds before he could even see anything, downed ghouls tumbling out of the door. 

 

_ ‘Stay on her good side. Noted’  _  he thought to himself. 

 

“Good job, buddy.” he said cheerfully, though he wasn’t quite feeling that cheer. 

 

“Thanks…” she muttered, letting him take point once more. 

He was supposed to teach her after all, so he stopped, briefing her about what the irritable looking man up ahead would ask, and how she would respond, clapping a hand on the back of her shoulder encouragingly. Kareena cracked her neck, striding closer, pocketing her gun finally. His greeting was a hasty inquiry into whether or not she had a geiger counter, to which she swept her bangs back lazily. 

 

“Sorry, mine’s in the shop.” she answered. 

 

He explained the situation, her first actual insight into what was really going on. Deacon beckoned her back, testing her yet again, pleased with her answers. She was certain he wasn’t lying, but she still held onto that sliver of doubt, agreeing without hesitation to sneak in through the back instead of rushing the front and triggering all the traps. So she  _ could _ be stealthy, if pressed. Good to know. File that back there with wolf impressions and staying on the right side of her gun. Uncaring of the height, she glanced over the edge, taking note of the entry point. Deacon cringed visibly, swallowing away his nervousness when she jumped off. That was about to be a handful of broken bones when she landed, that much was a guarantee. He wasn’t about to go that way, this was high enough as it was, he’d find a different way down and scrape her off the pavement when he got there. 

 

By the time he reached her, however, she was finishing a stimpack injection, eyebrow raised as she glanced at him over her shoulder. “What took you?” 

 

“I didn’t want to participate in your body art.” he said, that false enthusiasm in his words again. Was it false? Sometimes even he couldn’t tell how much was true anymore. 

 

She spread her arms out around her, searching the ground. “It wasn’t that high. Look, few cuts and scrapes, not even a sprained ankle. I’m not crazy enough to leap off Trinity Tower, but a little tumble like that? Nothing to worry about.”

 

“Half surprised you didn’t blow away, what are you, buck twenty five?” he asked. 

 

He had a decent guess, he was undershooting it a bit, curious to see how she would react to it. 

 

“One-sixty-five.” she answered, chuckling to herself. “Closer to 180 with armor, but who’s counting?” 

 

_ Honest answer, surprising.  _ Most women, and sometimes men too, fudged the numbers a bit, and you could always tell by the little non-verbal tells, but she wasn’t holding back. Speaking of armor, he had to question her sanity for a moment, surely even she didn’t miss the part where this place was crawling with hostile synths, and yet, she was undeterred, wearing some surprisingly decent pre-war outfit she scavenged somewhere. Pair of shorts, regular shoes and some checkered, sleeveless number. Too long for her, based solely on the way it was bunched up at her waist and knotted.  _ Risk-taker.  _ He knew she was good, but he didn’t know if  _ anyone _ was that good, to just walk in unprotected like that. Well, at the end of the day, he wasn’t blind, and it wasn’t like he didn’t appreciate the view. Still, he’d be able to appreciate it more, if he wasn’t at least partially expecting her to walk out the other side of this with laser burns and bullet wounds. 

 

He couldn’t hold back a laugh when she walked in though, her shoulders raising irritably, like she knew exactly what had tickled his fancy. 

 

“Y’know, the cryo kind of screwed my growth rate, okay? I had at  _ least _ six good years of growing left…” she huffed indignantly. 

 

“Hey, I’m not judging.” a lie, he was totally judging. 

 

Face it, she was practically portable, did they even make power armor in her size? They didn’t, of course. He saw her in some a few times, and it was almost comical watching her struggle to get properly situated, stumbling along until she acclimated to it.  _ Adorably ‘short’ temper.  _ She exchanged her 10 mil for a gauss rifle, further comically emblazoned with the word ‘Daddy’ carved into the side.  _ Dirty sense of humor. _ He heard the mechanical voices of synths on the search, for only a moment, before a barrage of quick shots laid waste to them. 

 

“Nice.” he said, honest praise this time. 

 

Her brows arched, suppressing a giggle. “Daddy punishes everyone who deserves it.” 

 

_ Scratch that,  _ _ very  _ _ dirty sense of humor. Duly noted. _

 

“Well, these guys certainly deserve it. Let’s hope Daddy doesn’t get too tired.” he said. 

 

She patted her hip, the ECs jangling in a large pouch. That must have been picked up in Goodneighbor, probably wiped out Kleo’s supply. Kareena stopped to loot the fusion cells from the synths, taking his guidance however he offered it, whether it was checking for goodies, or hacking terminals, redirecting turrets.  _ Obedient, to a point. _ Danse must like that about her, having someone who tolerates his humorless personality  _ and _ follows directions. Dez was in for a pleasant surprise, they had almost cleared the entire place out, only the prototype left to grab, and they could head back to HQ to report in. Who needed a squad and Glory when they had a Kareena? Too bad there was only one of her. Three or four, and the rest of the Railroad would be out of jobs entirely. They found a relatively safe spot, surrounded by sparking synths and she urged him to turn around. 

 

“What for? Haven’t I been good company?” he joked, but really, it was more that he wasn’t comfortable turning his back to her. 

 

“Just do it, okay? It’s cold here, I want to change. Please, Deac?” she practically begged. 

 

He shoved his hands in his pockets, turning around then. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her in less before, she just didn’t know it. Wasn’t going to tell her either, people didn’t like being watched  _ that _ closely. That or the fact that he could  _ still _ see her in the reflection of his glasses.  _ Underdressed for the occasion take II _ . She wiggled into almost too-tight leathers, her tongue set between her teeth as she struggled to set the clasps on the vest, straining precariously over her chest. Not a bad view, but that was secondary to finishing out the last stretch. Meeting her was proving to be everything he expected,  _ and  _ a few things he wasn’t expecting. Still possibly dangerous, however. They always said dynamite came in small packages, and she had potential to take everything in the explosion in a way not unlike the bombs. 

 

“Prototype should be just through this door. Just snatch it up, and I’ll let you turn it in, take the credit for it. Guaranteed you’ll be invited in. Guess it isn’t really taking credit, considering you actually blew through here like a tornado…” he admitted. 

 

Barring this one door, she probably could have managed it all by herself, but thankfully, he always kept an ace in his sleeve, the only reason he never ran out of reasons the Railroad needed him around. That aside, he was toying with the idea of letting her run at least one more mission before letting her put the data from the chip to use, after all, her brother could be waiting for her. No reason she wouldn’t still be willing to help out after she returned.  _ If _ she returned. Maybe the Institute kidnaps her, kills her, tries to  _ replace _ her, maybe she turns on everyone. Could play out a dozen ways, for all he knew. He wanted to probe her mind, sift through her thoughts, her foundation, learn who she was inside and out, everything that made up who she was, had wanted to for a long time now, but he wasn’t about to ask. Confronted with unexpected questions, people took to the defensive, reacted evasively, and that was fine, he could learn just as well from watching her. 

 

Minutes passing, and she was leading the way out, like she knew where she was going. Probably did, too, who knew if she’d ever been here before. She blasted indiscriminately at targets he couldn’t see, choking gurgles echoing over varied distances. When it was safe, she held out her hand towards him. Deacon stared at it for a moment before he grabbed it, realizing she meant to teleport back to the church. She was a quick study after all, but time would tell, whether or not she was quick enough to pick up on his bullshit or not. Maybe she was oblivious to it, or maybe she was too nice to say anything about it. 

 

“Got anywhere to be, or do you wanna hang out a little more?” he asked when they arrived. 

 

Kareena chewed the inside of her lip, weighing it in her mind. “I do have somethin’ to get to, pretty important to me, actually…Although...you are pretty funny. If you feel like it, you can come with, now that I know I don’t have to walk the whole way, it might go faster…” 

 

_ Funny? _ That was a first, most people seemed annoyed by his presence, save for when he slipped into a more serious role. The offer was tempting, a good chance to learn more and observe first hand the kind of trouble she was preparing to get into. He found his pack, lighting a cigarette, holding one out in offering, again, she accepted.  _ She’s good… _

 

“Yeah, why the hell not. These guys can stand to be away from me for a little while. We’ll drop off the prototype, and get on the road.” he said on his exhale. 


	16. Chapter 16

Deacon frowned at the heavy fog. They ended right at the mouth of a cave, and that was fine, but it didn’t ease his mind about the visible radiation. He should have known this was where they were heading.  _ Charmer _ indeed. She had chosen well, how she managed to get him here without him thinking to ask was damn impressive. He definitely had to watch out for this one. He followed her inside, mildly surprised to see the good Doctor was a super mutant, a revelation that didn’t surprise her in the least. Must be who she came to find last time. The exchange was brief, with Virgil cursing under his breath as he struggled to map out the blueprint for her, holding it just out of her reach with a stern look. 

 

“You remember our arrangement, right? You won’t forget about it?” he questioned. 

 

She smiled easily, nodding. “I haven’t forgotten. I won’t leave without it, you have my word.” 

 

He handed the blueprints over hesitantly. “I’m trusting you.” 

 

Kareena turned on her heel, heading for the door. “Not gonna let you down. Off to find someone to build up a thingamajigger.” 

 

She heard his groan, knew he was palming his face, her smile erupting into a full on grin. “I don’t get the technical lingo, but I get the basics just fine. I just like messing with him.” 

 

_ Taunts super mutants. _ Added to his mental file on her. Deacon glanced over at the blueprints. “Tinker might be able to make sense of those.” 

 

Shrugging, she shook her head. “Did you miss the part where he wanted me to shoot battery acid into myself? No offense, but I have someone else in mind for this…” 

 

Someone else capable of interpreting the plans? Deacon frowned, silently hoping she wasn’t about to march him up to the Prydwyn to talk to the Brotherhood. Anything would be better than that…

 

Remaining as objective as possible, he gave her a lazy half-smile, gesturing for her to lead the way. She managed to give him the slip a few times  _ and  _ flawlessly talked him into going out into Rad City, why not see where she was going with this too. A quick flash and they were gone, reappearing by the bridge in Sanctuary. Pit stop or…? The first to reach them was her dog friend, whining softly for her attention, and she bent to scratch behind his ears, rummaging through her bag, producing a deathclaw hand, which he quickly accepted and ran off with.  _ Dog person, confirmed. _

 

“Well I’ll be, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.” A voice drawled behind them. 

 

“Sturges! Just the man I was looking for!” she said, turning quickly. 

 

“That so? Can’t say I don’t like hearing that from ya.” he told her, grinning sheepishly. 

 

_ Something between them? Unrequited? Likely. This tumbleweed wouldn’t interest her. Possibly.  _ Deacon thought. 

 

“Got somethin’ here I think you’ll find interesting.” she said, handing out the schematics. 

 

Sturges took the page from her, looking it over, his brow furrowing. “This is...bit more complicated than hot water and power…” he muttered.

 

_ Can’t do it. Ten caps. _ He was betting himself, naturally, the only way to come out on top either way. 

 

“Yeah, I think I can manage this. Why don’t you get started on this bit right here first. Needs a lot of juice and a lot of space, so maybe take that empty lot?” he said, scratching his chin in thought. 

 

“You got it, boss. I’m on it.” she said. 

 

“Got everything ya need?” he asked curiously, sparing her a quick glance before returning to mull over the schematics. “Could try and help figure out where to get the parts if not.” 

 

“I’m all set, just might take a little while to put it all together.” she assured him. 

 

Deacon slumped down next to her, handing her pieces as she asked for them.  _ Good with her hands. Creatively, of course. _ She paused to fidget with the radio, her head bobbing to the music.  _ Not a fan of silence _ . He deduced, almost entirely sure that was the case, her reactions to quiet filled with nervous fidgeting, drumming on her thighs and a host of other telltale signs she was uncomfortable. Sturges returned after a bit, cupping her shoulder lightly, holding out a bottle to her. She eyed it suspiciously, but eventually accepted it, nodding her thanks. 

 

“Preston’s tryin’ to cook something up, I’ll bring it by soon.” he said, turning his attention towards him finally. “He stayin’?” 

 

Deacon nodded once, answering for her. “As long as she doesn’t mind my company, I’m hanging around. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn’t willing to watch her do the hard labor?” 

 

He  _ wanted  _ to say something about it, it was visible in the way his jaw tightened. He was holding back out of respect for her, but whether it was simply because she was the General, or something more personal, he wasn’t quite sure just yet. Her nose wrinkled at the bitter taste, digging through her bag again, pulling out a pack of smokes and a gold lighter, his suspicion confirmed by her friend. 

 

“Oh man, Kay. When did ya take that up?” he wondered. 

 

She braced for a lecture, though he wasn’t prepared to give her one, a curl of ash dropping at the end of his question.  _ Kay?  _ He hadn’t heard anyone call her that one before, maybe he knew something no one else did. Someone she trusted then. He felt a heavy pressure across his lap, looking down. She had her shoes kicked to the side, legs draped over him like he was part of the furniture, rolled over on her stomach. She scratched her head, quickly removing a piece she had just secured, seeming to realize that she installed it incorrectly. 

 

“I can get you a chair or something.” he said simply. 

 

“I’m fine. Besides, didn’t you say something about a leg massage earlier?” she asked. 

 

He was about to remind her he said she could  _ try _ to bribe him, not that he would do it. That was before he realized his hand was already resting on her calf, half-heartedly squeezing along the tense line of muscle.  _ When did that happen? Not just good,  _ _ very good _ _.  _

 

“No problem, partner.” he sighed. 

 

On the other hand, even from this, he could still observe. Her legs were solid, far from the soft way he had imagined they’d be. Guess walking from one end of hell to the other on a regular basis was bound to harden up even the softest of people. He grabbed ahold of her foot under the pretense of extending the massage down that far, but really it was just to keep his mental file updated. Still that same glittery red she had last time he noticed, though it carried the same distinct color present on one of her scattered sets of power armor, touched up with paint then. Nothing out of line, she had a generous set of nerves on her to have a steady hand after everything. Said a lot about her mental condition, for a kid who never saw combat before (he had definitely poked thoroughly through the records, daughter of a vet, barely out of high school herself, no military service.) she was surprisingly untouched by the same trauma some suffered from blasting people into paste. She lifted against his touch a few times, but barring the quiet sing-along, she made no commentary. Time for some well placed teasing, well overdue, in fact. 

 

“Some questionable taste in tunes you got there. Or do you just enjoy what this kind of song does to your mind?” he wondered. 

 

She glared at him over her shoulder, actually glared, but it was quickly replaced with an impish grin. “Oh, and  _ Rocket 69 _ isn’t questionable?” 

 

He placed a hand on his chest, pretending to be offended, though she saw right through it. “ _ Excuse me, ma’am.  _ Diamond City Radio only plays the finest in family friendly music.” 

 

She shrugged her shoulders quickly, feeling around in her blind spot for the piece she was after. He nudged it closer, enjoying the look of satisfaction, like she had found it on her own. 

 

“Right. Tell that one to Butcher Pete.” she muttered. 

 

Sturges returned a few minutes later with a relatively unbent or dented aluminum tray, peppered with boiled tatos and carrots, seemingly ignoring Deacon’s presence entirely at this point. 

 

“Here ya go.” he said. 

 

She pouted, resting her head on her arms like she couldn’t bring herself to stop working even for a moment. 

 

“Sturgessss…” she sighed in tune with batting eyelashes. “I’m workin’, help meee…” 

He smiled warmly, taking a seat next to her, giving in rather easily. “Whaddya want, should I take over with this, or would you rather I feed ya?” 

 

_ Damn. Hold everything, we are definitely in the presence of a master here. _ Not even an eyeroll and he  _ offered _ to feed her? Either she was just  _ that good _ , or this guy just had it bad for her. Maybe both, couldn’t be sure yet, she hadn’t seemed to notice the looks he was firing at her, and indeed he wasn’t being very over the top about his flirting either. Deacon took in the full picture, somehow she had everything she wanted at that moment, stretched between the both of them, being treated like nothing short of some hedonistic goddess, except instead of grapes, it was boiled veggies, for whatever reason, working on some machine that may or may not rend her from existence. No way she wasn’t at least mildly aware that she could fucking get away with anything if she batted her eyelashes. 

 

“So...the Institute, ya really going to poke around, not gonna...y’know...blow everything to bits?” Sturges asked curiously. 

 

“That’s just bad manners. I’m gonna give ‘em a little Cali sunshine, get what I need, and  _ then _ , I’ll blow everything to bits. Probably.” she replied. 

 

“‘Cali sunshine’?” Deacon asked, wondering if that was code for another of her weapons. He was betting rocket launcher. 

 

“I was actually born in Los Angeles. Parents were on vacation, and little ol’ me couldn’t wait to see the beach, or so mom said.” she said with a shrug. “Used to get picked on in middle school, so she used to tell me to give ‘em the old Cali sunshine. Means smile, kill with kindness.” she elaborated.  

 

“Must’ve been nice back then. Not so much anymore from what I hear.” Deacon said. 

 

“I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t raised there, I don’t remember any of it. If it’s anything like it is here though, it’s probably a total pit.” she said, her face twisting with distaste. 

 

Night was well underway before she finally moved to stand, brushing her hands together, chest puffed proudly. “One Stabilized Reflector Platform, done and done.” 

 

Deacon laughed to himself, drawing her immediate attention. “Looks like your friend turned in already.” 

 

Frowning, Kareena looked around curiously, noticing that really the only people still up aside from them was Preston, still making rounds. Even Dogmeat was sleeping, his head propped on a teddy bear, tucked between his paws. 

 

“Well, shit.” she said, clapping a hand over her mouth when it left, before remembering that no one was particularly going to ground her for it anymore. “Up to you, Deac. You turning in too, or do you want to find some more trouble to get into?” 

 

“Get some sleep, or get into trouble with my pal? Gee, that’s a hard choice.” he said sarcastically. “Trouble sounds like fun.” 

 

“Wanna go mess with the people at Covenant?” she offered cheerfully. 

 

“Do I ever.” he said, matching her smirk. “What do you think, mercs for hire, undercover chem pushers or way too happy couple?” 

 

“Nah, merc is too tempting, might fall in a bit too easily, besides, they might frown on that. The chems aren’t gonna work well either, they’re really picky about who they let in.” she mumbled, her fingers pressed together in thought. 

 

“Happy couple it is then. Think they’ll buy it?” he asked. 

 

She winked at him, twirling her hair playfully. “Depends. I’m quite the catch, think you can tie me down?” 

 

_ Nice. _ His hand shot out easily, landing snugly on her waist, pulling her closer, his free hand tapping the center of her forehead. “Oh no, honey. You’ve got it backwards.  _ You  _ should be asking if you can catch me.” 

 

She slipped his grasp effortlessly, waving to follow. “This calls for a wardrobe change, as they say, all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Let’s not keep the world waiting, love.” 

 

He liked where her head was at. She’d been all over, probably had a closet full of goodies that could be useful. Still, even he wasn’t fool enough to miss the signs. She just spent the better part of a day building the platform to get her to her goal, and instead, she was skipping out in the middle of the night to play games with him. That was cold feet if he ever seen it. Naturally she wasn’t about to admit that she was having doubts about going, and really, who could blame her? This was good for a little impromptu training, so he wasn’t going to call her on it, it was just strange to see that even she got nervous about the unknown. Led up into her private quarters, she shuffled through the wardrobe, her hand pausing on a dress, white with red trim, lace along the hem. Her shoulders sagged momentarily while she examined it before taking it out, bending to scoop up a pair of white high heels. 

 

“This is gonna take some doing. Can’t remember the last time I wore a dress, and I’ll be lucky if I don’t break my neck in these things…” she muttered. 

 

She pointed to the closet, and he shuffled through, settling on a pair of slacks and a white button up shirt, taking a hat and vest to complete the look. At the very least, the inside pocket was a place to store a pistol in an emergency. Not that she wasn’t creative enough to smuggle in a few weapons unnoticed, he just didn’t want to be caught off guard. 

 

“Well, that’s what I’m here for, sweetheart. I’m not going to let my pride and joy hurt herself, and damn the rock that tries to trip you.” he growled jokingly. “What do you think? Are you buying it?” 

 

She slapped his chest lightly, giggling at the line. “You have to work a little harder if you want my heart.” 

 

He frowned, an act, he knew it, she knew it too. “I don’t already have it? Aw, babe you could have told me that before I gave you that ring.” 

 

She drew her hands to her hips, her tongue poking out with a short raspberry. “You  _ didn’t _ give me a ring.” 

 

Deacon paused to rummage through his effects, pulling out two identical rings, palming them. He reached for her hand, placing an affectionate kiss to her fingertips before slipping one on her hand. It was strange, he hadn’t really expected to be put in a position like this, even as an act. He lost himself in thought, wedging the other on his own finger until she waved a hand in front of his face. 

 

“Earth to Jangles, still with me pal?” she asked. 

 

“Sure am, shall we go then?” he replied, holding out his arm for her. 

 

It was clear this wasn’t exactly going to be the walk in the park he expected it would be. No fault of hers, but rather the rattling of skeletons in his own closet. This could be useful, at the end of the day there were synth-related rumors coming out of Covenant, they could play the part until it was safe to poke around and see what they could dig up. Then again, since she suggested it in the first place, he had to wonder if she already knew something weird was going on there. Follow your gut, he had told her, and that seemed just like what she was doing. 


	17. Chapter 17

He wished she had told him her plan ahead of time. Really, really wished she had. Deacon had anticipated how this might go down, they’d play the part of the enthusiastic newlyweds scouting out a nice place to live, and then look around discreetly when people weren’t paying attention to them. She had the tongue for that method, could probably talk even the most far gone junkie out of his last dose just by flashing her doe eyes and passing on a not-so discretionary compliment. That would have been the most efficient method, but apparently she didn’t like to fuck around. Still, he wished he had the foresight to tell what she had planned from the start. 

 

Started out harmless enough, the far too comfortable way the man behind the desk beckoned to them, told them to take a seat so they could begin their test. Deacon kicked back lazily, drawing her down to sit on his laps, arms folded protectively around her, pressing a kiss to her cheek, his hold on her an excuse to discourage a pat down, so the arsenal hidden under her dress would go unnoticed. This should have been easy enough to pass, even at a guess, it should have been simple. Some unlikely questions, like what they’d do if they were approached by a frenzied scientist yelling about putting his quantum harmonizer in their photonic resonation chamber, to which she had to bite her lip to stifle a giggle at the perceived underlying sex-related nature of the question. He squeezed her waist gently to try and help keep her focused. 

 

“I’d grab a pipe an’ knock him out.” she said easily. 

 

Alarm bells were already sounding in his head, she  _ should have _ played it safer, said she’d run away or ignore him or something that she wouldn’t ever actually do. Another question about an absent doctor, and a patient with a rapidly spreading infection, she simply said she’d restrain and observe, even he knew they were looking for a different answer. Again, a question about a lost boy in possession of stolen goods, she said she’d confiscate the goods and ditch the kid.  _ Heartless _ , but she wouldn’t actually do that, he had seen the way she helped everyone, even if she had a chance to take a bullet to her back for it. She was too nice sometimes, reckless. Another question, about what position she preferred on the baseball team she made it on. She snarked about not playing baseball, something about preferring soccer. Grandma invites them to tea, and gives them a pistol, orders them to kill someone? She’d ask for a minigun. That much was absolutely believable, but then, she had her own special weapons, granny’s pistol might sit ignored, but she’d still do it. Few more questions, all thrown exactly the wrong way. It came as a total surprise when he still let them in. 

 

Deacon counted the one blessing he could think of, that they were both still alright. Things seemed fine, they browsed the shop, pretended to be completely awed at just how nice everything was, and how friendly everyone was here compared to other settlements. Almost got caught doing a quick check on the locks, but thanks to quick thinking, he had managed to scoop her up and situate himself against her at the side of the building, fingers tangling in her hair, smothering her with kisses as the settler rounded the corner. Instead of suspicion, they were met with some comment about how touching it was to see love blossoming where little else could. When they finally turned in for the night, they were offered a bed,  _ one _ bed, close quarters, not that it mattered. That was when he started to curse his need for shuteye. Morning rolled around, and his hand met empty mattress, his eyes shooting open.  _ Gone. _ Shit. Shit, shit shit, this wasn’t good. Most of his cautious inquiries had been met with the exact same line of ‘Sorry to say, she ran off in the middle of the night.” 

 

No way in hell she’d skip out like that without some kind of sign. They definitely covered that on the way there in the first place. A man waved him over, and they exchanged quiet conversation, noting the look of panic that had somehow settled over his face. He was looking into a disappearance as well, and had a feeling wherever his target was, Charmer was too. Was that the point? He had a few choice words for her if the entire idea was for her to get swiped to look into it. Deacon would have to find the secrets hidden away on his own and hope she was still alive when he found her. Another full day of waiting, sneaking around, picking locks, hacking terminals. Time was running out, that’s what his gut was telling him, his mind already losing his usual absentee objectivity, imagining at least a hundred different scenarios about what  _ could _ be happening to her in the time he was taking. 

 

The mayor was waiting by the gate, a smile on his face. “Not very neighborly of you to poke around.” he paused to pull himself upright. “Theoretically, let’s say that compound exists. Say we know all about the caravan. Now let’s say we stay friends and I give you 100 caps to forget you learned about any of this…” 

 

He was in full adrenaline mode, and it took incredible effort not to want to knock his head into that gate, trying to remain in control of the situation. “How about you tell me where to look. I find my girl in there? I’m coming back for you. She’s really gone, I’ll give  _ you _ the caps and be on my way.” 

 

He looked clearly uncomfortable at the suggestion, and he knew he had his answer. He tugged at his collar nervously, but finally gestured out the gate. “Across the lake, there’s a pipe, leads right to it. You won’t find her there.” 

 

Deacon knew the tone well enough to know it was more that he was praying he wouldn’t, a thought that made his heart leap to his throat. She was his responsibility, and he was trying to convince himself it had everything to do with not wanting to hear the lecture if she died in his care so quickly. Somewhere along the line, he lost control of just how quickly he was moving, loading his gun on the way. He hated that he might have to resort to using it, but at the same time, it was more than worth it. She was important, and not just to the Railroad, not just as his partner, not even to him personally, but to a lot of people, including the little boy waiting for her. He didn’t even take note of the path he took, only realizing he hadn’t stopped when he came face to face with a woman in a lab coat. His chest rose and fell quickly, sweat beading his brow, soaking through the front of his shirt. He stared through the lenses of his sunglasses, two slumped figures locked behind two of the three cells. 

 

One had to be the girl the caravaner was looking for. The other, well, the shock of pink twisted in her braids gave it away, but even for just a bit over a day, she looked awful. Yelling to her wouldn’t do any good, some device on her head to keep her deaf and blind to her surroundings, blood soaking through her clothes, lip split down the center, cuts and gashes on her arms and legs. There was no point in asking, he could tell from the look of it what was going on here. ‘Torture as a point of research, how much can the human -- or  _ possibly synth _ body handle before it breaks down?’. The distinct smell of burnt flesh was absolutely everywhere, and the source was immediately apparent, electric shocks, administered over sensitive patches of skin, chems lining the nearby station, wondering just how far this woman was willing to go to get her data. 

 

“You messed with the wrong girl, doc. It would be a mercy to let her out and have her take you down, but you got me just the right level of pissed that it’s a  _ pleasure _ to deal with you myself. I’m not even worried about the keys, I’ll take ‘em off your corpse.” he growled. 

 

Deacon raised his gun, aimed right between her eyes. He’d hate himself for this later, or maybe he wouldn’t, hard to say how guilty he would feel over someone he felt had totally fucked with him. He hunched over the body, rifling through her pockets for the keys, opening the cells, the girl running ahead with a loud ‘thank you!’. She didn’t move, and he had a sneaking suspicion she was out cold.  _ Don’t be dead, don’t do this to me, not now. _ Not to mention there was still a lot to do, a lot of real, honest good that could be accomplished. Yanking the helmet off, he looked her over, fingers pressed to her pulse point. Faint, but it was still there, out cold was a good guess. The marks along her arm had him silently hoping for her sake that she would be out for a while. 

 

No way in hell he was bringing her back to HQ like this, and Sanctuary was crawling with people who would ask questions. Not a lot of options, even Diamond City (her house was in Geneva’s records, which he  _ definitely  _ snooped through.) was an invitation to be bothered, between all the people in the market, the possibility of Piper being in the city, or Nick passing through was a risk he wasn’t willing to take. Goodneighbor, Hancock was still taking it easy in Sanctuary, and the drifters wouldn’t think twice about a limp, bloody body being hauled through the area. Rexford, he’d have to get a room and make sure she was taken care of in a place no one cared enough to pry into too much. 

 

\-----

Three full days later, days he had spent pumping her full of Med-X and Addictol, just on the off chance she had been given anything questionable. A full kit of stims and several blood packs, wiping her down with a wet cloth, trying to keep her comfortable, and she finally roused. She cupped her brow, and he could only guess she had one hell of a raging headache slamming against her skull. He had a million questions on his mind, namely ‘What the hell were you thinking?’, but he wanted to at least give her a chance to get her head on straight. She stretched towards him, feeling around in his pocket for his pack and his lighter. Didn’t blame her, smoker or not, going through that would make anyone need the relief. When she finished it, he sat next to her, back to her to avoid that look she gave when she was trying to get her way, whatever that might be at the time. 

 

“So, mind telling me what you were thinking,  _ partner? _ ” he asked, with a bite of sarcasm. 

 

“Maybe should have gave you a head’s up that my idea of messing with people and having fun are a little skewed.” she said with a groan, the bed creaking as she pushed herself to sit. “What did you think I meant by wanting to check out Covenant? Did Amelia make it out okay?” 

 

That was her entire insane plan from the very beginning? Either that or she was just as good at lying as he was, and he wasn’t really sure which it was, more concerned with why he was so glad to know she was alright. He had no reason for that, not like they had been working together for very long, and a pretty face (and admittedly  _ very nice curves)  _ hadn’t particularly been enough to sway him before, he couldn’t usually lend it a second thought in this business, too much risk. Charmer was safe, he was sure of that much, and if it had to be anyone stealing away his focus, she was the best bet, but that was missing the entire point. 

 

“You’re telling me you knew about it, before Dez or anyone else, and  _ planned _ from the start to go in, get yourself caught on the off chance you  _ might _ find her?” Deacon asked skeptically. 

 

In one easy move, she sprung up, an arm locked around his neck, pulling him down, his glasses knocked away from the force, finding it both interesting and uncomfortable to actually look her in the eyes, the first time there was nothing between them, nothing to hide behind. 

 

“You don’t think I pay attention? I listen. How else do you think I figured out how to find the Railroad in the first place? “ she asked. 

 

_ Doctor Amari, right next door. I paid her to direct you to us.  _ That was what he was thinking, but he entertained the line of questioning. 

 

“Alright, surprise me. How?” he asked, fully convinced he knew the answer. 

 

“Diamond City.” she said simply. 

 

_ I definitely didn’t lay the work there… _ ”How long ago was that?” he felt compelled to ask. 

 

“Few months ago. Even bothered to scout out the route partway before I was called away.” she admitted. 

 

How did she escape his notice? How did she honestly manage to get that close without coming up on  _ anyone’s _ radar, let alone his?  _ Occasionally full of surprises. Good to know. _ It worked out in the end, but it was a little frustrating to realize not only had she technically outplayed him, but that they could have been working together for months if someone hadn’t  _ rudely _ interrupted her search. She leaned a little closer, just enough for him to feel her breath over his lips, smelled like cigs and ‘lemonade’, not a bad thing, but worth noting anyway, despite knowing that would change several times before inside of a day. Didn’t keep nice teeth like hers in this world, but she  _ tried _ , almost obsessively scouring for tubes of toothpaste and buying up every toothbrush that didn’t look unsafe. 

 

“You okay? Don’t lie to me...I’ll know…” he mumbled, distracted by the almost red glint in her eyes, low lights reflected off the palette of colors present. “I need to know.” 

 

Kareena smiled, for the first time in days. “I’m just peachy. Takes more than getting roughed up a bit to ruin my week.” 

 

“It wasn’t  _ getting roughed up ‘a bit’ _ . It was fucking  _ torture _ . No one is ‘just peachy’ after that.” he countered. 

“Please. If that was torture, I’m  _ so _ down for more.” she said, and he knew she was deflecting again, some part of it bothered her, she just wasn’t ready to lower that wall even a little. “I decide what I believe in every morning. I stay sane that way. Only way. Living the way I did before isn’t an option, if I tried, how long do you think I’d keep struggling to survive? I would...just give up.” 

 

So it  _ did _ bother her. The losses she took, the dystopian future she found herself in. All of it. Keeping busy and taking risks was the way that kept her mind too full to stop and realize it was eating at her. That was something he knew well enough by now too, always stay on the move, don’t stop long enough to let anything stick. She was the first time he had really slowed enough to let his thoughts catch up to him, to realize that he didn’t particularly want to lose her, then again, everyone had lost something, but few as much as she had. Maybe that was why she felt like a lifeline, they were two sides to the same coin, the reflection in a mirror. Deacon chastised himself, his hand reaching for the back of her neck, closing the slight gap between them. His lips found hers and she fell into it, letting him set the pace, the intensity, and maybe he was still reeling from letting her slip away once before, but he wasn’t interested in stopping just yet. Then again, it could perhaps be explained away by the simple fact that he had been following her from the beginning, knew probably more about her than she even knew about herself. Her voice, her expressions, the simple gestures she gave no thought to, he knew them all. Shockingly better than he could even profess to know about himself. 

 

At the very least, she was intact, her cuts, burns and bruises gone, probably thanks to an over generous amount of stims and the precautions he had taken to make sure that would be the case. Not like she didn’t have some scars, but he wasn’t quite sure his conscience could handle her bearing more thanks to his failure. The thing he was most unsure about was  _ why? _ Was this just simply him staying in the character he had set, and was she still in that frame of mind too? Maybe they were both dreaming the same crazy thing, or it was possible that this was just a one-off fluke. Stopping here was a great idea, stop now before it got out of hand and went too far. He knew that, his mind was repeating it like a mantra, but his hands weren’t moving from their fixed locations on her neck and her back. This was an awful way to end things, but it had to happen. He struggled to tear his focus from her lips, shaking his head. 

 

“Believe me, it’s not that this isn’t a good way to pass the time, but...you have something more important to do than waste time with me.” he sighed. “What’s stopping you?”

 

Frowning a little, she reached for his glasses, carefully putting them back on his face. She pushed back from him, her hands nimbly working to fix her hair back into place. 

 

“I’m having second thoughts. If what I saw was real, enough time has passed that he won’t even remember me. I know it’s the _right_ thing to do, knew it from the moment I realized he might still be…” she shrugged, clearly unsure why she was being so open with him, practically a stranger in her eyes. “What if I was wrong? I’m walking into dangerous territory for nothing, or even worse, what if he _is_ there, and I can’t convince him to come back with me?”

 

“What are the odds that  _ you _ can’t talk someone into something? Please. Most likely scenario, you walk into the Institute, an hour later, you own the damn place.” he said, laughing quietly. 

 

“Well, they can keep it, I don’t want it. That would look  _ real _ good. Having the one place everyone is afraid of following my orders. Pssh. No thanks.” she hissed. 

 

“That has advantages. Imagine this, if you will. You own the Institute. You could decide what’s safe to share, and what needs to be done away with. You could single-handedly manage what the Railroad has been trying to do for...shit, a long time. Brotherhood no longer has a reason to want it out of the way with one of their own at the helm, unsafe tech done away with. Railroad is safe from being targeted by the Brotherhood, and the Coursers can be reprogrammed, redirected to protect against raiders and other threats. Commonwealth is saved, and you, the absolute  _ saint _ responsible for all of it.” he offered, leaning back against her thigh, staring up at her from behind the safety of polarized lenses.

 

“Putting an awful lot of pressure on me, aren’t you? Who says I actually want that much power and responsibility? I’d say coming up on 230 years? I’m well past retirement. I should be kicking back, right?” she laughed, idly resting her palm on his chest. 

 

“You? Retire? Right, like that’ll ever happen, the boredom alone would kill you faster than anything else could.” he pointed out. 

 

“Guess you’re right about that…” she sighed. “Alright, alright. I’ll go back, but you’re coming with me. I’m not gonna make it if I have to build the rest of that doohickey without someone throwing witty one-liners at me.” 

 

He sat up, and she moved to stand finally, eyeing her pip-boy briefly. “After this song, I like this one.” 

 

He reached for her hand, securing his fingers between hers so she couldn’t try to weasel out of it again. “ _ Now. _ Before you get a chance to reconsider again.” 

 

Mostly it was another excuse, he just didn’t want to run the risk of getting dragged into another situation he wasn’t fully prepared for, and the hopefully short time away would give him a chance to regain his wits. She really got closer than he expected even she could, and fast.  _ Shit. _

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

Four days and several check-ins later, Kareena slumped in a chair, staring at the completed device. Everyone wanted something different, and always the people-pleaser, she was struggling to keep it straight. Three holotapes, all with the goal of extracting data from the Institute, a request to fetch a specific person for the Brotherhood, and of course breaking into Virgil’s old lab to hunt for the serum she promised to fetch, not even sure if it would be there. She held her head, fingers twisting and pulling at the stray hairs poking out of her braid. Deacon had faithfully followed her while she hunted down parts she didn’t have, occasionally trying out a new lie on her, though she called him on it each time he tried. In exchange, he called her out on taking longer than she needed to get back to the relay. 

 

“Still not ready?” he asked, his words muffled in a way that suggested he was smoking again. More frequent, it seemed, when he was standing around with nothing to do. “Thought I finally had you all psyched up, what gives?” 

 

Heaving a heavy, if exaggerated, sigh, she moved towards a cabinet. It was left haphazardly in the driveway like an afterthought, but he had a feeling no one went through it out of concern for how she might take to that. She tossed out several articles of clothes, plucking the buttons on her shirt. 

 

“Not going to, I don’t know, go change somewhere else?” he asked, clearing his throat. 

 

“What else do you want? Would you rather I get going quickly or I waste more time rushing to maintain my decency?” she asked. 

 

“Fair enough.” he admitted, taking her chair. 

 

Her clothes pooled on the driveway, watching her silently. She layered pieces of heavy metal under clothes that didn’t look very protective. She was trying to look like she was no threat, but the need for extra armor on the sly said she was fully expecting things to go badly. Knowing her, he wouldn’t be surprised if it did result in a fight, but he hoped she’d keep her head on enough to try not to let it come to that. She dug through her bag, placing the holotapes in her bra, tucking a sheathed blade just under her leathers, strapped to her leg with duct tape. That was gonna hurt later when she had to rip it off, but she knew what she was doing. She made her way towards the platform, crossing her arms over herself, Sturges slowly making his was over to the console. 

 

“Ready to go?” he asked, confirming it with her first. 

 

“Yeah. If you don’t mind, let’s hurry. Before I have time to change my mind.” she asked, a sliver of vulnerability in her tone. 

 

“Alright, no problem.” he replied. 

 

Awfully calm considering practically everyone already knew there was a chance the machine could malfunction, or maybe she didn’t come back. This could well be the last time anyone would be seeing her, and aside from the group that had gathered to watch her, not one person dared wish her well or say their goodbyes. Smart. No need to add any extra stress to the situation. After a short countdown, she phased out of existence, people slow to scatter, eventually leaving him sitting there, watching, waiting yet again. Even then, he already knew, if she could help it, this wouldn’t be her first choice for where to come back to. If he was her (and he wasn’t), where would he choose to go? He had a few ideas, in fact, he was almost positive he could guess where she would go, but that too, would require some waiting. She certainly wasn’t going to go there right away, not without a bit of her own brand of ‘wandering’ first. 

 

\-----

Everything was clean, too clean, too bright. Not at all what she was expecting. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any guards posted anywhere nearby, off to a good start. Spotting a terminal, she knelt down by it, producing the smuggled holotapes, half expecting someone to find her there and send up the alert, but she managed to grab the data without issue. Hopefully, whatever she managed to grab would be useful, and not completely garbage. 

 

“Hello.” a voice piped through the speakers. 

 

Her hand instinctively fell to her hip, forgetting already that she had come without a gun. The voice continued to speak to her, guiding her to the elevator. The last time someone said they wanted to talk things out like this, it ended in bloodshed, not hers by any means, but still, it was just instinct to not trust this ‘Father’. Expecting to find someone on the other end, instead, she saw the boy from Kellogg’s memories. 

 

“Shaun?” she asked tentatively. 

 

He didn’t look like she had imagined he might at this age, but she could certainly see her mother’s features in his. 

 

“Yes, I’m Shaun.” he answered. 

 

“Oh thank fuck.” she sighed, covering her mouth out of habit. “I’ve been looking for you.” 

 

“Who are you?” he questioned.

 

Of course he wouldn’t remember her, he had no reason to. “I’m your big sister, I’ve been tracking you for so long. What do you say we get you out of here?” 

 

Instead of working with her to escape as she had hoped he might, he grew increasingly agitated by her presence, shouting for Father.  _ Should have known better than to come here… _ This was a bad idea all around. 

 

The door slid open, and an elderly man came out, addressing the boy, who promptly slumped over. Said he was a prototype. Like Nicky? It wasn’t even him after all, but some synth replica? God, after all this time, she still couldn’t tell the newer synths from actual humans. Embarrassing. 

 

“Where is the real Shaun? I’m trying to be polite here, but he’s the reason I’ve bothered figuring out how to get in here, so if you could hand him over, I’ll be on my way.” she explained. 

“This is...difficult to tell you. I have to tell you that this isn’t at all what you’ve been expecting.” he said. 

 

His hand reached out hesitantly, resting on her shoulder, meeting her eyes so she wouldn’t look away. “I am Shaun. I’m your brother.” 

 

Deacon had given her enough practice trying to pick out his lies from the truths, gave her enough training to be able to pick up on a lie, but none of those signs were showing. So what then? She was just supposed to believe the baby she had originally set out to find was an old man? He waved her to follow, explaining the whole situation to her, everything, about why he was taken, how it was possible that so much time had passed, a brief history of the Institute and what they had been trying to do. How in a way, as the father of the modern synth, they were related, including her. If that was supposed to be a comfort to her, it was far from it. Everything life above had taught her, this was the great evil, despite what he was saying. This was too much, hard to shove it down and play her part, but there was no choice, she had to gain access to get what else she was after. Only then could she get out of there to sort her thoughts. 

 

“Don’t you want to help? To work beside me and see for yourself what it’s really like here?” he offered. 

 

She bit down hard on her cheek, forcing back the impulses welling in her brain. “Yes, of course. Absolutely, just tell me what to do.” 

 

He presented her with a list of people, department heads to go introduce herself to and speak to, the name Madison Li jumping out at her immediately. Good. She could play this game long enough to go find the serum, bullshit her way through meeting the others, and then try and persuade her to return. Deacon’s suggestion was starting to make more sense, already the technology was proving to be unlike anything she had seen above. Might be worth it to play her role a little longer, and if ‘Father’ wasn’t really Shaun, like he claimed? Well, the idea had potential…

 

She fiddled with her pip-boy, looking at the clock. One hour. A challenge, more than anything. Meet everyone she had to, gather what she was supposed to, and get out without killing anyone. One hour. Three stops when she got out, and then, she could find a creative outlet for the spiral of emotions threatening to rip her brain apart. 


	19. Chapter 19

_ Forty-eight minutes. _ She managed in far less time than she anticipated. Thanks to that, she got out quickly, made her rounds, playing the good delivery girl before she found time to get away. She bought a bottle of whiskey off a trader, wandering without a real direction until she ended up by the water. No way in hell she was getting any closer, that weakness was hers to hide, she couldn’t swim, and she wasn’t about to learn this way. She took a seat on a large chunk of driftwood, wrenching open the top. This was a bad idea all around, but it worked for other people, why not give it a shot? For a time, she just enjoyed watching the sky and choking down the bottle. Sorting out the mess in her head would take time, and this was relaxing. Until naturally, someone infringed upon her territory, alerted by the sound of devious laughter. She screwed top back on, dropping it to the sand, standing slowly, her balance tested, but not completely absent. 

 

“Looks like we hit the jackpot, pretty little thing, all alone out here...can’t have that. Bad men around these parts…” he sneered. 

 

_ Raiders.  _ Naturally, they would pick the one time she had nothing more threatening than a concealed switchblade on her. Then again, this could be the perfect way to take out her mounting aggression. 

 

“More like disgusting, but I’ll forgive ya for not knowin’ the difference.” she said. 

 

“I like her. Got a mouth on her. See how long that holds out.” a second man cackled. 

 

She stood her ground, but played it cool, letting them draw near, partially because she needed time to figure this out. Fist fighting was out, it would be lucky if she could land a hit, let alone do any damage. At least one was clearly armed, a shotgun lazily pointed to the ground. 

 

“Like my mouth do ya?” she asked, taking her eyes off long enough to retrieve the bottle, slowly, so as not to trigger any alarms. She still wasn’t quite sure what the plan was, and her mind was just sluggish enough to be making it a chore to think.  _ Lesson one: play to your strengths.  _ Basic strategy. She undid her first button, fanning herself off with her free hand. “Sure is hot out here…” 

 

“Gonna get hotter soon enough.” He said, reaching for her. 

 

She let him pull her closer, lashing out, smashing the bottle against his head. He clutched the bleeding gash, cursing her, too slow in his movements. Kareena eyed the jagged points, tightening her grip on the neck, jabbing him below the ribs. Not fatal, perhaps, but enough to make him less of a problem. The second raised the shotgun finally, and she let go, one arm raised, her other hand pointing to her chest. 

 

“Come on then. I’ll give ya one free shot before I come at y’next.” she offered, her words practically melting together. 

 

He wasted no time firing at her, the bullet hitting, enough to  _ really fucking hurt _ , but thanks to the metal plating under, it didn’t pierce through, if anything, it made her angrier. “This’s my good shirt, too, ya ass.” 

 

Stomping on the head of the first, he grunted, his head pressed into the sand. She leapt at him, the sudden force enough to make him drop the shotgun. Looking around, she spotted a brick wall, locking her arms tightly around his neck, dragging his flailing form gasping behind her. Smashing him head first into the wall, she drug him along slowly, bashing his head one more time for good measure. Dropping him, she retrieved the blade from the sheathe around her leg, jamming it in the side of his head, twisting forcefully. Bringing it back, she wiped it clean on her sleeve, turning to a fist in her face. Lashing out, she hit his throat, spitting up blood. One more, barring backup arriving. Dropping, she rolled quickly to pick up the gun, firing once. 

 

_ Piece of shit fired left. Leave it to scum to have a misfiring gun. _ She tried to compensate, landing her hit that time, but it wasn’t enough. Now she was  _ furious _ . Kareena kicked the body over, smashing the butt of the gun wherever it landed, not stopping until she was throwing back bloody sand. Pros and cons, pro, she wasn’t dead. Con, she could no longer drown her troubles, fine, they could probably float. Pro, she wasn’t nearly as upset now. Con, now she needed a change of clothes and a shower. Maybe she could just teleport to the vault, and get away without being noticed? If so, she had her itinerary for the next few days, vault vacation. She poked at the map, reappearing just outside the vault, riding the elevator down, silently hoping it was far enough away that no one would hear it. Sneaking to the showers, she quickly shed her clothes and armor, wiping at her face. There was a gash on her lip, but nothing that wouldn’t eventually heal on its own, still had all her teeth, nothing out of place. Might have one hell of a bruise tomorrow, but it was still miles better than the alternative. She heard a whistle behind her, quickly moving to cover herself. 

 

“Well, score one for me. Thought you’d come back here.” Deacon said. “You look like hell. Hope you left the other guys worse off.” 

 

“The wildlife won’t starve for a while, anyway. What do you want Deac?” she mumbled. 

 

“Can’t I just check on my partner without needing something else?” he asked, a generous dose of mock offense riddled in his words. 

 

“Sure, whether I believe it or not, that’s the real mystery.” she told him. 

 

“I won’t make you talk about it. I’ll stay with you though, must have seen some rough shit to come back like this. You’re a kitten usually, can’t imagine what had to happen to make  _ you  _ snap.” he said. 

 

She hung her head, nodding slowly. “I don’t feel like talking about it yet. I guess the company won’t be so bad at least. You already know this place, don’t you? The Deacon I’ve come to know doesn’t  _ not _ scout out a place before he offers to stay.” 

 

“A little caution goes a long way.” he laughed. 

 

“Long as you’re here, mind washing my back?” she asked, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. 


	20. Chapter 20

Deacon had been fairly content to watch, as always. Watched her hunt around for something clean to wear, hair plastered to her skin like it belonged there, taking note of her scars, of the bruises and the red marks on her, vaguely trying to piece together how they got there. He let himself get too comfortable, that was the problem with this. She had a way of making him let down his guard, without actually having to do anything. Giving up her search, she navigated her way back to what must have been a recreational area, scattered bottles littering the floor, and a lone computer in the corner. Bending over, she fished in the space behind the desk for a loose wire, dropping her pip-boy next to it, plugging it in. Music piped through the room, and she waved him over, he wasn’t sure why he actually took her signal. She reached for his hand, pulling him closer, his hand finding the small of her back. Reaching up, she took his glasses off, setting them on the the desk, reaching to hold his shoulder. 

 

“What is it with you and my glasses?” he asked with a nervous laugh. 

 

“It’s your eyes. I like them.” she said. 

 

He followed her steps, wondering when the last time he actually danced like this was. Had to be a long time ago, in another life, one he was perfectly content forgetting. She already knew his story, and she didn’t push the issue, he liked that about her. If she was curious, she didn’t let him know, didn’t dig into his business in the way he had with her. It was surprising it came to him so easily, more surprised how her eyes had a way of looking right through him and deep inside him at the same time. Still, it wasn’t a problem, not really. Not until he noticed the scent on her skin, the flowery notes in her hair, things he hadn’t paid quite  _ this _ much attention to before. Even when they were ‘married’, he had completely let it escape his notice how soft she felt, the warmth of her. She gasped quietly, the slight space left between them vanishing, pressed to the edge of the table. Deacon bent to close the gap further, capturing her lips, her hands shifting to the back of his neck. 

 

He pushed her back, or maybe she pulled him, it was difficult to tell. He could taste the whiskey on her lips, noting the distinct absence of cigarettes this time, his hands resting on her thighs, unsure how or when they got there, unable to convince his mind that it actually mattered.  _ She definitely chose right _ . Her knees were at his hips, whether she realized it or not, he couldn’t avoid that detail. Pressing to her, he groaned in her mouth, her hands moving lower, tugging his shirt up, fingertips grazing his muscles. Part of him was absolutely willing to take it off for her, but another part of him was concerned if he moved away long enough to, then what? She’d vanish, wouldn’t be there when he looked down again? He’d change his mind? Breaking from her mouth, he quickly tugged it up over his head, taking his chances. She was still there, and he was still plenty willing, seeking out another kiss. He swept her hair aside, palms spread over her breasts, mentally trying to paint her as he recalled her looking. Her hips bore faint bruises, the fading mark of teeth left all over her, not a girl who liked to be treated like she’d break? That or maybe it was more that it just happened, and she wasn’t concerned with it. The ones he couldn’t figure out was a large bruise spread across her chest, crawling up her shoulders, darker than the rest, very recent. Then again, strolling in covered in blood that clearly wasn’t hers, it was probably from the armor she had on. 

 

He broke the kiss again, following a line down her chin, her throat, down between her breasts before deviating, sweeping his tongue against a nipple, feeling the way she squirmed under him.  _ Sensitive, noted. _ Struggling not to move away for a bit, he found the button of his jeans, slipping it free, letting them slide down naturally, as much as could be hoped for, before he tried to pull his legs free. Underwear never felt natural to him, so he opted out of that program. For all the good hers were doing, already soaked through, and again, he reminded himself that he had seen her without on a number of occasions. Never quite this close though, as much as he was sure if he chose to, he could get even closer. 

 

Deacon pressed against her again, hearing her faint moan, it sounded nice. Not that he had imagined what it must sound like, although he had, if he decided to be honest. It didn’t sound like he thought it might, marginally better. Even now, there was a voice inside him begging him to stop here and get as far away as he could, but he was getting better at ignoring it. Now, it was just the mental debate of how far was too far, and whether he wanted to risk considering a repeat performance later on. Too much, and she might get the wrong idea, or was it more that he was worried about misreading the situation? Why did she make it so challenging to think? He couldn’t decide anything anymore. Straightforward and simple, that might be best. Been a long time for him, not something he really lent any thought to, and he wasn’t quite sure he could outlast her, but with a bit of luck, it wouldn’t put him completely out of her good graces. Then again, she was her, not some back alley junkie who shot first and never got around to worrying about asking later. If  _ he _ disappointed her? She’d probably apologize to him, that was just how she was. 

 

He backed away from her, enough to get her panties off, sucking in a sharp breath. Someone had been looking into things someone like her had no business knowing. More importantly, he had a hard enough time finding a razor, where the hell did she find one? Someone that decidedly  _ wasn’t _ him should think about revoking her library card, theoretically of course. Unlikely very many people actually knew what a library card was. Kitten, indeed. It wasn’t her body that posed the real threat, despite comments to the contrary, no, at least in his mind, it was always her eyes, and without that shield keeping her back, he was vulnerable to her. He tested the waters, one finger at a time, spreading slowly inside until she whimpered. Well, not very forgiving, no doubt he’d manage, but it wouldn’t be easy. Charmer -- no, Kareena, had quickly gotten under his skin, the ‘something’ he was missing, longing for, but the reason was one he’d deny as long as possible. He wasn’t about to own up to anything like that. He tried to get back control of his thoughts, focusing on the far away slow, steady strum of a guitar, the shifting beat of drums, anything but the way she was looking at him. 

 

He withdrew his hand, her legs squeezing him tighter, just for a moment, like she was demanding more without words. Funny how he wanted to give her just what she wanted. Leaning lower to her, he bit her earlobe, the faint traces of stubble on his chin swiping the side of her neck, feeling the way she jumped, quivering at the feeling. Exploitable weaknesses were always fun. Not as warmed up as he thought, it was hard to gain any ground, to the point he figured he  _ had _ to be hurting her, at least a little. 

 

“How did we get here?” he asked, chancing slamming into her. 

 

She arched, practically howled, scratching deeply at his shoulders. Probably enough to draw blood, not that he was concerned with it. Call it battle wounds, something that made him out to be better than what he felt he was at that particular time. 

 

“I…” she gasped, swaying into his slow thrusts. “Believe you danced your way into my pants.” 

 

Even now, deflecting with a joke was fresh on his mind, trying to slow the racing speed of his thoughts on the compromising position, to distract from how she felt wrapped around him like this. 

 

“You weren’t wearing pants, angel.” why did he call her that? That was a mistake, he couldn’t take it back, could he? 

 

“That’s probably it then. Can’t handle my magnificence in anything less than pants.” she sighed. 

 

Her eyes flared wider, freeing one hand from her hips, pressing both of hers above her head, holding them down at the wrists. He hadn’t noticed before how thin they were, strong, but thin. He couldn’t be sure if he was doing it for her benefit or out of some twisted need to show her just how much of a mistake this was. If that was the aim, it was backfiring spectacularly, it only seemed to excite her further. The suspect bruising on her hips made so much more sense now,  _ not naming names, but ‘someone’ did indeed like it rough.  _ Given more time, he was certain he could more than meet her needs, probably show her things she hadn’t had the chance to see, but he held back, more for himself than for her. He didn’t want to tumble headfirst down the rabbit hole, there was no return from that place, and he wasn’t ready for that. Not that he had much choice in the matter, he already knew if she said she wanted him, she’d get him. With a bow on top, or a leash, whatever and however she demanded. Damned if he didn’t join the legion of bootlickers he had once made fun of. 

 

Deacon followed the pull of her legs, faster at her signal, slower and harder as she directed him, her legs tightly fastened around his waist, stronger than he anticipated. The sounds she made were addicting, more than any fix he could imagine, but it was only making it harder to keep up with her, he already felt like he could go at any moment, but he was trying, really  _ trying _ to hold out for her. He was ready to praise Wasteland Jesus, panting and gasping like he had run a mile with his life in imminent danger the whole time, her body seizing for an instant, insides clenching and fluttering. He stroked the ridge of her hip slowly, shivering visibly under her gaze, biting her lower lip in a half-hearted attempt to silence himself. He groaned, bucking against her hard, not slowing, spilling into her. Had to have been more pent up than he imagined, he hadn’t even thought to pull out yet, and he could feel it leaking out already.  _ Literally and figuratively fucked. Noted.  _

 

When she caught her breath, and he finally moved from her, patting her knees when she let go of him, she tipped her head to the side, a sideways grin on her face. 

 

“I ever tell you how much I like blue eyes?” she wondered. 

 

“No. Would have been nice to know, might have been more protective of my shades.” he said, laughing weakly. 

 

Deacon crossed the room to grab them, poised to put them back on, but for whatever reason, he tossed them back down. He didn’t quite know how to bring it up, hoping it didn’t have to be said, that this conversation could be delayed as long as possible. She reached for her underwear, quickly pulling them back on, digging through drawers for anything to wear at that point. 

 

“They don’t know what they’re asking me to do.” she said finally, pulling on a pair of too long pants. “I don’t know what I want to do.” 

 

Deacon dressed in silence, glancing up when she spoke. “I’ve got two working ears and I’ll take your secrets to my grave, if you need someone to listen.” 

 

Kareena took a seat, cradling her head like she had no idea what to think, let alone if she should say anything about it. “You have ears?! This whole time I thought it was part of the disguise...Well!” she chuckled quietly, getting serious quicker than he liked. “I know I  _ have _ to do something about it. If I don’t, someone else will, and I can’t fix it then. I don’t even think I can convince him after all.” 

 

“Take it you found him then? I noticed he wasn’t with you.” he pointed out. 

 

“My little brother…” she paused, eyes closing, clearly trying to block it out. “Is running the Institute. Not exactly  _ little _ anymore, I see what Kellogg was trying to tell me. The Railroad wants it gone, the Brotherhood wants it gone, even the Minutemen want it gone. This means everything I’ve been chasing, my only family left, I have to destroy.” 

 

Deacon froze up at that. He tried to warn her that having attachments would only make it harder for her, but when he said that, he never imagined that he’d be part of the whole asking her to do something about it. It was a terrible idea, he didn’t want to get any closer to her than he already had, but they were  _ partners _ , supposed to have each other’s backs no matter what. He closed in on her, pulling her into his chest, squeezing her tightly to him. 

 

“Damn...I’m sorry angel.”  _ Fuck. Said it again.  _ “I don’t even know what to say…” 

 

“Didn’t want to believe it at first, by the time I got back, I knew he wasn’t lying...Hell, I knew it the moment he said it, I just didn’t want to accept it.” she admitted. 

 

“Where did you go?” he wondered, less a desire to pick her brain and more to know what happened to her. 

 

“Went out by the ocean, meant to drink myself stupid. Wouldn’t have been hard, might have even found myself taking those last few steps into the water. Raiders interrupted my pity party, and I wasn’t drunk enough to give up without a fight, I guess. Had a lot of fun though, so I’m feeling  _ much _ better.” she told him. 

 

That was a story he knew well. Feeling like a good time to call it, like the end of the rope had come up finally, only to find the fight inside, without knowing  _ why _ .  _ Two sides of the same coin. The reflection you don’t recognize in the mirror. Deacon and Charmer, Charmer and Deacon, one and the same.  _ No wonder he couldn’t escape her pull. 

 

“Take whatever time you need. The answer will come to you, I’m sure of it. If...if you think you need to go back, no one will hear about it from me. Whatever you need to reach the conclusion you feel is the right one.” he told her. 

 

“Oh my, it must be serious if you’re offering to stay quiet. You never stay quiet. He said it was my home. That because we share the same blood, we’re all family, him, me and the synths. I belong here, with you, with everyone I’ve come to care for.” she said, more to herself than to him. “My home is where my heart is, and -- oh wait, that means I’m always home. Nevermind.”

 

“You don’t sound so sure.” he noted. 

 

“I’m really not, I just...I can’t think, or maybe I don’t want to, I know what’s right according to all that I’ve learned, but I haven’t killed my morals enough to not question what’s right according to  _ me. _ I’m going crazy here, Deac.” she mumbled, burying her face in his chest. 

 

“You were  _ always _ crazy. That’s what makes you who you are. If you weren’t, you’d be boring.” he joked, hoping to make her smile. 

 

She playfully slapped his shoulder, and he acted like it hurt, getting the smile he had wanted. “Can we just blame the rads, I like to think I was sane at some point.”

 

“Sure.  _ Rads. _ Why don’t you go get some rest?” he asked, patting her hip. 

 

“I will if you do. You sleep even less than I do. I’m stubborn, you know I can stay up for days if I have to.” she told him. 

 

He rolled his eyes behind his now replaced glasses, nodding. “Fine, whatevs. The elevator is loud enough that it could wake the dead, if someone comes in we’ll hear it. No sense in keeping guard anyway.” 

 

“See? Now that’s the spirit. Only real question is whether or not you feel like sharing or not.” it was said entirely as a joke, he realized that. 

 

Deacon was prepared to say it was the best possible option to sleep separate from each other, but the words came out all wrong, and he accidentally (he thought it might have been an accident, anyway…) volunteered himself to share. Beds were bigger than the ones they’d had to double up on before, but considering what  _ just _ happened, it almost didn’t feel big enough to escape her hold on him. She turned out the lights, and he struggled to figure out which way to face, what to do with his hands, and how to deal with having her close enough to feel the warmth radiating off her skin, smell the honey, flowers, and the lingering scent of sex on her. Eventually, he gave in completely, tucking himself against her, holding onto her, partially because even with the extra space, he still worried she might pitch him off in the middle of the night, and partly because it was the best idea he had. Given that she disappeared on him, even once, he was particularly concerned about her disappearing without his notice again. This seemed a fair enough way to prevent that. 

 

“Hey.” he mumbled against her neck, bits of hair tickling his face. 

 

“Whaaat?” she sighed, like she was reluctant to be disturbed, but he knew that she wasn’t. She was nowhere near sleeping yet, and truthfully, not even completely relaxed either. 

 

“Don’t...don’t go anywhere okay? Not without me, yeah?” he asked. 

 

“Almost sounds like you’re worried you’ll misplace me, D.” she laughed, gently brushing her fingers over his hand. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. You’re welcome to follow me as long as you want. Promise.” 

 

Probably better that she saw it that way, no way in hell was he going to correct her. As long as she promised, that was enough for him. Not having to wake up wondering where she was, and the moment of panic he felt when he realized she could be dead while he was still trying to figure out what happened to her was more than enough to tell him he never wanted to deal with that again. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I had to. On the pc I made my own radio station, with like 50+ songs, and I called it Shokora Radio, after my YouTube name. I made up the details from a Rob Zombie song (Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown.) So my headcanon for her go to station is that it's out of New York City (Dead City), and Rob Zombie is like a ghoul DJ or something. Idk, it sounds dumb, but I had to.

The sound of an energetic, slightly deep voiced DJ roused him from his sleep. Charmer already up, rapt attention focused on the station, her braids down long enough to brush through it before she fixed it up. 

 

“Y’know, I have to ask. Where the hell is this station even coming from?” Deacon asked, wandering to the bathroom. 

 

“New York.” she answered, not looking away. 

 

“Can’t be, New York was obliterated, last I knew. I’m not even sure anyone survived there.” he muttered. 

 

“Maybe that’s why it’s called ‘Dead City Radio’. Maybe he’s the only one.” she shrugged, propping her head on her palm. “Still, only station that plays the good stuff. The stuff everyone else seems to have forgotten.” 

 

“You don’t remember the ones Travis plays?” he questioned skeptically. 

 

“Pssh. Let me tell you something. Back in my time, those songs were already considered ‘oldies’. Please, we were past poodle skirts and sock hops. That was like my mom’s time, not mine.” Kareena groused. 

 

Deacon jerked his thumb towards the shower, poking his head out briefly. “Want to get in a shower? I imagine moping in the vault isn’t your complete agenda for the day.” 

 

Her head dropped, shuffling towards the shower, looking the very picture of a scolded child. She grudgingly shed her clothes, stepping in behind him. There wasn’t a need to ask, he could just  _ tell _ what that meant. She actually  _ was _ planning on doing just that, but since he called her on it, she was scrambling to think of something better to act like she had planned. Deacon didn’t dare turn around to face her, not without something in the way of those amber eyes of hers. It was already strange enough realizing that by the end of this shower, he’d come out smelling like her. He had to take his mind off it somehow, deciding to ask about her friends. 

 

“So, you have quite the collection of friends. I’m interested in your take on them. What do you think about Hancock?” he asked. 

 

“He’s pretty nice. I get the feeling he actually cares about the things that matter.” she said. 

 

“What about Danse?” he said, secretly hoping she’d share his moderate dislike for him. 

 

“Danse is strict, but fair. I’d trust him to watch my back any day, any situation.” she told him, leaning into him long enough to snatch the soap from his hand. 

 

“Jeez, is there anyone you don’t like?” he wondered, realizing she was just good natured like that. The answer had to be something besides ‘no’, no one got along with absolutely everyone unless they were lying or kidding themselves. 

 

Not answering, he finally turned to make sure she was even still there. Her face flushed, glancing up, her front covered in soapy bubbles, her arms crossing herself. 

 

“You are aware I saw all of that last night, right?” he reminded her, finding her sudden modesty a bit odd. 

 

“Yes, I know, but still...I didn’t expect you were going to look right then…” she mumbled. 

 

Her hands slid away slowly, putting the soap on the ledge. He leaned to the side so she could slip past him and rinse off, her hip brushing his thigh lightly. Trying to distract again, he counted down from one hundred, staring at the wall. 

 

“To answer your question, I’m not particularly fond of Marcy. She’s just...mean.” she said, tipping her head up towards the stream of water, her hands sweeping over herself slowly to rinse off completely. 

 

‘ _ 76, 75, 74, 72...shit, I skipped 73…’ he thought.  _

 

“She does seem that way, doesn’t she.” he agreed. 

 

His hand lazily trailed the length of her spine, watching her shiver at the unexpected touch. He resumed his countdown from the beginning. So this was a problem, turned out it wasn’t only her eyes that were the problem. Pulling his hand back like she burned him, he quickly apologized, putting another inch of space between them. 

 

“I’ll be gone for a little while. Elder Maxson had something for me to do, so I thought I’d check in. Might take time though. I know your feelings on the Brotherhood, so I won’t ask you to come with. 

 

True, there was no love lost there, but at the same time, he didn’t really think it was the best idea to let her go alone. Might be worth it to go for the intel alone, then again, maybe someone else entirely could go and he’d hang back. She was one of them, he wasn’t, he had no desire to try and blend in with them (although it would be fun to see if they could tell he wasn’t actually some Initiate.) There was also the potential to get her in trouble for bringing him along, and that wouldn’t help matters…

 

“I probably shouldn’t go. Although if you wanted me to, I would.” he admitted. 

 

Stepping out finally, she grabbed a towel, patting dry before she busied herself with the uniform. “I’m not going to ask you anything you’re not comfortable with. Sit this one out, Deac. I’ll come back, I promised.” 

 

He turned the water off, watching her struggle into it, raising a brow curiously. Who had the brilliant idea to make them so tight? He had observed it before, not on her, but others. The way they pulled at it in an effort to loosen them up. Someone somewhere had to have a thing for leaving very little to the imagination while also covering everything. Probably familiar with whoever designed the vault suits too, those things were just… too much. When he first saw her, she was wearing one, and it was close. Almost gave away his position, “unfair” being the word that came to mind. Must be a mandatory thing, he never saw her in it when she was hanging around the Paladin, but for a trip to the Prydwyn, she was pouring herself into it? Made him wonder why the Railroad didn’t have a uniform, might be worth it. Hell, maybe he could ask Tinker to make something along these lines, and convince her she had to wear it because of new regulations. They didn’t spend a tremendous amount of time in HQ, she probably wouldn’t notice the difference for a little while. That would use up a little bit of time, and maybe the rest of the time, it wouldn’t kill him to help out around Sanctuary. Might learn something interesting. 

 

She walked back to the room, opening a trunk to retrieve her spare bag. Deacon tipped his head when she bent, not a smart idea to be watching like this, not this closely, but it was practically a crime not to. Slinging her bag over her shoulders, she shot him a wink, turning to go. 

 

“I’ll be back soon enough. Don’t change your face until I get back.” she teased. 

 

“I’ll think about it. Better get going before the Can Army falls apart without you.” he countered. 

 

“Please, I’m not what’s keeping it going. Maxson is the important one, even Danse ranks higher than I do.” she reminded him. “If anything, they might be mildly inconvenienced.” 

 

‘Keep telling yourself that.’ he thought sarcastically. 

 

The Brotherhood would likely bite her in the ass in a way she wouldn’t enjoy, and he wondered if she’d remember his advice.Then again, she might just use all that emotion she was stockpiling and deal them a blow even they couldn’t recover from. Even he couldn’t anticipate what would be asked of her. 


	22. Bombs, Atom and Questions

Kareena spent the better part of the afternoon hunched over the blueprints for electromagnetic actuators. Finding the high-powered magnet wasn’t a problem, she picked some up recently, and was racking her brain to think of something to use them for. Sucked that she had to use it without thinking of anything good, but at least she was content the purpose was good enough. Danse took a seat in one of the leftover rows from the airport, occasionally pausing to ask a question about the process. He did seem quite interested in watching her build things, it was nice to feel capable enough to interest someone she...well, surprising that ‘admired’ was the word that came to mind. 

 

“I know you don’t like talking about it, but did your dad teach you how to make things like this or…?” he asked hesitantly. 

 

She shook her head slowly, leaning low over the piece she was working on, carefully setting it into place. “No, but it would have been handy if he did. I learn best by watching, but I can pick up enough from reading. These blueprints are pretty easy, really I just like making things.” 

 

“That’s something to be proud of, soldier.” he praised. 

 

She laughed unexpectedly, and he wasn’t quite sure why at first. “One time, I made my dad this terrible little tiny power armor model out of popsicle sticks. It almost fell apart, but he kept it anyway, left it on a shelf for everyone to see. “

 

Danse wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. She didn’t like talking about her parents, and he couldn’t tell why, since the topic was usually not open for discussion as he had learned. When she did choose to talk about it, he noticed she spoke less of her mother than her father, though she didn’t seem to have issues with her, perhaps they just weren’t as close. Instead, he chose the safer question that was begging to be asked. 

 

“What is a popsicle stick?” he asked. 

 

She shifted her position, rounding the nearly completed part to face him. Holding up two fingers a few inches apart, she shrugged hopelessly. “It’s a wooden stick about this long? They sold just the sticks too, but I just washed and used the sticks from the popsicles. Uh...those are...were? Frozen snacks. Like...frozen fruit juice…” she paused, trying to draw the shape in the air as best as she could. “I liked the cherry ones, but the orange ones were good too. Actually, I’d kill for ice cream too…” she trailed off, hurling huffy statements about how it was messed up that all the best things were gone now. 

 

“Your time sounds like it was interesting, to say the least.” he said. 

 

“Wonder if Daisy has caravans that go out to Michigan? Maybe Florida?” she mumbled to herself. Setting the finished actuator aside, she started in on the last one. “Yeah, it was something else. I think you might have liked it. I’d have worried about you too much, soldiers went overseas to fight, and people didn’t always come back…” 

 

“Are you worried for me?” he wondered. 

 

“Why wouldn’t I be? I...you’re my…” she stopped, shaking her head like she couldn’t finish what she was saying, or just didn’t know how to.

 

The last one progressed much quicker after building three prior, fairly clear on the placement of the pieces. Danse fell silent, watching her once more. Her fingers moved quickly, much like when she broke down and reassembled her weapons, like she had spent a lifetime doing it. Watching her create something from piles of junk was like watching an artist at work. Kareena put the last part in place, securing it before she pushed herself to stand, scooping them up in her arms. 

 

“I have to bring these back to Ingram and Doctor Li…” she said, excusing herself, despite knowing he intended to follow. 

 

The walk was a short, silent one. Proctor Ingram pointed out where to set them down at and she did, rushing up the steps with an uneasy smile. “What’s next?” 

 

“Prime needs nukes. Hate to tell you this sunshine, but the only possible location we could find is out in the Glowing Sea…” Ingram said. 

 

Kareena held up a hand, already trying to plan. “Rad-X, RadAway, Stimpaks...need to find a chemistry station...ECs, Daddy.” 

 

Proctor Ingram and Doctor Li exchanged unsure looks, before looking to Danse for clarification. He waved a hand, shaking his head once as if to say it wasn’t important information, don’t ask. 

 

Taking off, they stopped in Diamond City long enough to resupply before heading out. Thanks to Deacon letting her in on being able to teleport, they stopped off near Virgil’s hideout, deciding to walk from there instead of taking nearly a week just to reach the Glowing Sea on foot. This time, she came better prepared, gun at the ready, safety off as she said she always did. A selection of grenades within arms reach, and just in case they came across something bigger than expected, a missile launcher. By the time they reached the door, she had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, not the radiation, that felt completely different, no, this was nerves, but there was no real reason for it. Deciding to talk to keep her mind off it, they walked in. 

 

“Wonder if my dad would be proud to see me now...I’m about as close to a real soldier as I can get…” she sighed. 

 

“You  _ are _ a real soldier.” he replied. “Who wouldn’t be proud of what you’ve become? You found a purpose in a place with very little, that’s an accomplishment. Do you feel up to taking point on this one?” 

 

Before the question was completely out of his lips, she had her gun at the ready. Taking just enough time to turn up the radio, she gave a nod. “I know, I know. This isn’t a good strategy, but let me show you what I can do. I always did work better with music.” 

 

He sighed, but relented. Wasn’t like she didn’t pack half a pharmacy just in case, if something happened, it wouldn’t be a problem. She dug in her bag, slipping on a pair of black glasses with thick rims, the lenses clear. Crouching down, she slid along the corridors, eyes narrowed while she scanned the area before pressing on. Her hips swayed a bit in time with the song, occasionally rising to fire here and there. The place was filled with ferals and mole rats, some glowing ominously, but she barely paused her steps, not even taking the time to aim fully before the charged blasts cut them down. He had to admit, her tactics were unusual, and if it were anyone else, he would actively discourage it, but it  _ worked _ . Pressing further in, she bit her lip, fondling the grenades on her belt before choosing one, tossing it into the narrow space. Limbs flew everywhere with the explosion, bits of blood and viscera dripping from the low ceiling, oozing down the walls. It really didn’t seem to bother her if she noticed it at all, another mark of a good soldier.

 

Further in, she set her rifle down long enough to hack into a terminal. A door opened, and she slipped through. Just inside was one of Atom’s followers, apparently. He didn’t seem to like the intrusion, Danse’s hand poised to attack at the first sign of hostility. She silently mouthed him to let her deal with it. Her time with Deacon had really taught her a lot more than she expected. She traced a slow circle on the surface of the desk, smiling an almost too-sweet grin, one that Danse knew wouldn’t work on someone this far gone. 

 

“We want to see it, we want to spread Atom’s glorious message, so that all may know him.” she said, as though completely convinced that was her actual goal. 

 

He hesitated briefly, searching her face with great scrutiny. He finally handed over the password to get to the nukes, pointing out the path to reach them. By the time they left, he seemed almost enthusiastic about her words, but Danse said nothing about it until after they were certainly out of earshot. 

 

“That was impressive. I didn’t think he’d be that easy to convince.” he said. 

 

“Friend of mine said that there are three main motivators, caps, beliefs and ego. If you know which buttons to press, it’s not a challenge to figure out how to get them to go with it. Child of Atom, belief.” she explained. 

 

A short way down the path, she spotted a good place. Setting down the distress pulser, she flipped it on, brushing her palms together. 

 

“There’s that. Ready to head back?” she asked cheerfully. 

 

He frowned, lightly brushing her bangs back from her eyes. “I’m going to stay here to make sure they reach the airport without incident. Go on ahead.” 

 

She shook her head, staring down at her boots. “I’m not going without you. I’ll wait here too, it’ll be more secure with both of us, right?” 

 

That must have been the strange feeling she had, something about this just felt very wrong. Like if she left without him, she’d never see him again. He was right there, but in that moment, he felt far away, and she didn’t like it. Danse shook his head, bending towards her, planting a light kiss on the top of her head. Normally he wouldn’t, but he thought to make an exception just this once. 

 

“Go. That’s an order, Knight. I’ll see you soon enough, so don’t worry. Don’t make that face. Dismissed.” he said sternly. 

 

Somehow, that kiss just made her feel even worse about it, but maybe it was nothing. Defying his orders without cause wasn’t something she wanted to do, and truthfully, there wasn’t a reason not to trust that he’d catch up with her like he said he would. Sighing, she finally gave in, heading for the lift, firing on the lone enemy taking residence as it came down. The feeling only worsened all the way up, and by the time she reached the airport, she was legitimately concerned she might be sick, the feeling burning and twisting through her that strongly. Never go against your gut, that was what Deacon told her once.  _ Something wasn’t right. Danse wouldn’t just insist she leave unless something was up. _

 

“There you are!” Ingram said. 

 

After a brief discussion on Prime’s current condition, the Proctor gestured to a big button on the console. “You’ve earned it, go ahead! Push the button. Say hello.” 

 

Doctor Li frowned, preferring someone more qualified be the one to do it, but she gave in, gesturing to it as well. “Go on then.” 

 

Buttons were always her favorite, there was a weird sense of satisfaction in poking them. Without thought, she eagerly pressed it, the mechanical giant springing to life slowly. His voice was deep and felt like it was all around them. 

 

“Wow...this has to be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen…” she gasped, awestruck. 

 

“Well, I hope so. Without your help, he wouldn’t be up and running for a long time. We’ll keep an eye on the readings, in the meantime, Elder Maxson requested your presence on return.” Ingram said. 

 

“Suppose I should see what he needs. Probably just wants a report, no problem.” Kareena said, waving to them before rushing to catch a vertibird up. 

 

Wobbling on the deck, she shook her head. The first minute or so was never easy. Heights didn’t really bother her, and if she was sure she could stick the landing, might even consider leaping the edge just for the thrill of it, but there was a short instance of vertigo, or something like it while she adjusted to being this far off the ground. Following the path to the door, she broke into a lazy jog, stopping just in front of Maxson. He smiled, and that put her mind at ease for a moment. 

 

“Take a seat, Knight.” he said. 

 

“Yes, thank you sir.” she replied, sitting slowly. 

 

Maxson paced the room silently before he made his way to the door, locking it from the inside. Not a friendly chat then, this looked like trouble. What for though? She didn’t exactly do anything wrong, unless it had to do with leaving Danse behind, she wasn’t given orders to leave him behind, but at the same time, she was following  _ his _ order by leaving in the first place. Surely it wouldn’t be a problem if she explained the situation. 

 

“Am...am I in trouble, sir?” she asked nervously. 

 

He faced her finally, head tipped thoughtfully. “That depends entirely on you. If you’re honest, then I believe we can move forward without incident. If I believe you’re lying to me, then this may take a while.” 

 

“I have no reason to be dishonest. I assure you.” she said seriously. 

 

Moving to stand once more, he held out his hand. “Let’s start from the beginning then. Danse reported an uneventful patrol, but you seemed to have something to say. What really happened?” 

 

The patrol that got stretched out because of her mistake? That was what this was about? Well, they had agreed not to discuss it in the reports, but this seemed like it was serious, probably not in her best interest to lie. 

 

“I fired on a mine, and sustained a few shrapnel injuries. Danse insisted we find shelter so he could tend to my wounds. I did not pack any supplies, so he was forced to stitch me up. When I was well enough to move, we came back right away.” she told him. Perhaps he didn’t need to know the rest. 

 

“Take the uniform off, Knight.” he said. 

 

She frowned, unzipping part way, but not quite sure if he was serious. “May I ask why?” 

 

“If you weren’t lying, there should be scarring, right? I’m checking the facts. As I said, this may take a while. There are a number of questions.” he clarified. 

 

When Danse got back, she hoped he wasn’t in trouble too. She struggled to wiggle out of it, only as far as her knees, only as far as she had to. Indicating the scar under her breast, across her ribs. Lower, she pointed out the scars along her hip down to her knee. Truthfully, Danse had managed to move in time for much of the damage to be avoided, bouncing harmlessly off his power armor, all of her injuries located on one side instead of all over, like it could have been. 

 

“That’s everything that happened? Nothing else?” he questioned. 

 

She didn’t have to tell him about  _ that _ , right? There was no way he could know, right? “Yes, that’s it.” 

 

He folded his arms behind his back, pacing slower, coming to a stop in front of her, his expression unexpectedly severe. “I see…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised a friend that I would do something with Maxson, so the next chapter will deliver on that (finally). I apologize.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some dubcon/noncon here, sorry 'bout it.

His expression softened once more, moving to stand by the large window. “Come over here, Knight.” 

 

Obediently, she stood up, walking closer. Certain her eyes hadn’t given away the lie, she crossed her arms behind her back, mimicking his posture. 

 

“Do you know the punishment for lying?” he wondered aloud. 

 

“No, sir.” she answered honestly. 

 

He reached out, bending her over the railing. In a matter of moments, he had her hands bound behind her back, tied too tightly to pry her hands free. He leaned closer, his words hot against her ear. “Much less than the punishment for treason.” 

 

He pressed her uniform down to her ankles, his hand coming down hard on her ass. She whimpered sharply, all but dancing in place in a vain attempt to relieve the sharp pain. 

 

“Tell me the truth. A simple patrol does not require nearly a week, even with a medical delay of such a minor nature.” he ordered. 

 

“Is the proof I showed not enough?” she gasped. 

 

“Not by half.” he said. 

 

His hand crashed down on the other side, inciting another wave of pain. The sound she made gurgled in the back of her throat, clenching her teeth, making one hell of an effort to stay as dignified as possible. 

 

“I seduced him, sir!” she finally admitted, refusing to pin the blame on him, even slightly. 

 

She braced for another strike, but there wasn’t one. “Very good. Now we’re getting somewhere. Next question. Are you hiding something else? Something I should know?” 

 

Raising her head, her brows pulled together in confusion. “I have no idea what you mean. That’s it…” 

 

Maxson pressed his fingers against her panties, slowly tracing her folds through the thin cloth. “Don’t give me that. You’ve already demonstrated a willingness to lie, to withhold information. The longer you hold out, the more unpleasant this will get.” 

 

His free hand reached higher, sliding along her collarbone, up her throat, grasping just under her jaw, loose enough that she could still answer, but tight enough to try and impress the seriousness of the issue to her. She sucked in a breath, her head twisting in an attempt to escape his grasp. 

 

“I’m not lying, I really don’t know what you mean!” she groaned. 

 

His gripped tightened just a little, so she couldn’t pull free. His hand plunged into her panties, pressing in two fingers without warning, rougher than she was used to, she tried to pull away, in the hopes that if this was going to happen, he’d at least lighten up a little. 

 

“You’re not hiding anything else about Danse?” he asked skeptically. 

 

She swallowed hard, his grip inciting an ache in her throat. Maybe he knew more than she thought he did, if she didn’t come clean, this would only get worse. This was punishment, certainly, but even for the pain he inflicted on her, it could always be worse. At least he wasn’t threatening execution, or prison, something severe from her own time. If the worst he had to dish out was pain, she could take it, had handled worse already. 

 

“Yes, sir.” she admitted guiltily. 

 

He slammed his hand against her, pulling back again. “Well? What is it?” 

 

Her eyes rolled back slightly, and he loosened his hold, just enough for her to catch her breath. “It happened again in the downtime between missions, sir.” 

 

God, she didn’t blame him if he ended up angry about her mentioning it. Maxson was already prone to give out harsh punishment, going by the whispers on the ship. If this was hers, she could only imagine what was in store for him. He pulled his hand back, pressing her panties down. Bright red, bruising hand prints graced both sides of her ass, spreading her legs wider. She was wet, but not nearly enough, but she was responding favorably to the pain. He stopped long enough to unbuckle his pants, pushing them down with his briefs. 

 

“Keep going, unless you’re prepared for worse.” he growled. 

 

“There’s nothing else, that’s everything, I swear!” she told him. 

 

“I’m not inclined to believe he never confided in you.” he replied. 

 

His fingers dug into her waist, pulling her back to counter him, slipping in slowly. Her breath caught in her throat, stifling the whimper threatening to bubble up. He reached up again, replacing his hand in an effort to keep her focused and quiet. 

 

“He hasn’t told me anything serious. It’s all been about missions and the Brotherhood, honest…” she gurgled. 

 

He ground against her, biting at her shoulders, coming closer to her neck by the second. The steady sound of metal bumping her chest echoed in the small room, the Commonwealth looming below, like toy buildings. 

 

“Let’s try phrasing it differently then. After...you...returned from the Institute, he had  _ nothing _ to tell you?” he asked, punctuating his words with firm thrusts. 

 

“I never even mentioned the Institute to Danse, sir...I didn’t even tell him where I built the relay. We took out the Courser together, but beyond that, he didn’t know anything…” she choked. 

 

Again, he loosened his grip just enough to allow her to catch her breath, abandoning her waist to slip under her bra, pinching her nipple, drawing a moan from her. He slowed finally, turning her head slightly, kissing her gently. 

 

“This can go so much better for you, all you have to do is tell me what he said to you.” he groaned against her lips. 

 

She could taste the alcohol in his mouth, the aftertaste of cigarettes, waiting until he let up enough for her to give him the answer she thought he was after. 

 

“Like I said, it was mostly about the Brotherhood. Who sponsored him, what the Brotherhood represented, wondering what I thought of the others in the team…” she gasped. 

 

He brought his hand from her throat down between her legs, circling her clit slowly at first, then faster, her hips arching against his touch. “What else…” 

 

She shook her head. “Just about growing up in the Capital Wasteland, nothing else.” 

 

Fuck, Danse was really going to be disappointed, this was all conversations she had sworn to keep between them, and even this shouldn’t have been enough to get her to divulge his confidences. She was at a point where she was beating herself up mentally more than he was physically. Come to think of it, she still hadn’t seen him, maybe he was still in the Glowing Sea, waiting to see the nukes back to safety. 

 

Cringing, she panted softly, unable to hold back, almost angry with herself for enjoying this even now. Maxson sped up again, his controlled movements becoming reckless, he wouldn’t hold out much longer, and if she didn’t tell him whatever he was looking for, what would he resort to next? Strangely, this wasn’t the worst, nothing compared to what happened in Covenant, the memory of the electrical shocks alone made it hard to sleep at times, not knowing when or even if someone would find her in time until Deacon tore the helmet off. This wasn’t torture, this was an attempt at persuasion. He slowed, feeling the heat of his finish, though he didn’t completely stop for a short time after, finally pulling from her, the metallic scent of blood hitting her. She had been around it plenty enough to know even a faint trace of it, an unfortunate side effect of a life filled with taking that of others. 

 

He pulled her underwear back up, pausing to clean himself on them before situating them back up. Turning her to face him, he stared down at her, eyes piercing and intense, his thumb swiping the already bruising markings across her neck. 

 

“You expect me to believe that as...close as you’ve been, he never once told you he was a synth?” he asked. 

 

“There’s no way in hell Danse is a synth. I don’t know where you’d get a notion like that.” she growled. 

 

“That little holotape you brought to us from the Institute. The synth designated M7-97 is a perfect match for Danse.” he said. 

 

“There’s clearly a mistake then. Quinlan already said he needed new glasses, obviously he messed up.” she argued. 

 

She was overstepping her bounds by a mile already, but this was clearly a mistake, it had to be.

 

“We’ve compared the results several times, and I’ve had others verify the findings. I personally looked into it myself as well. There is no mistake.” he confirmed. 

 

“So this was, what then? Making sure I didn’t know?” she asked. 

 

“By all reports, he was closer to you than anyone else. If he told anyone, it would be you.” he explained. 

 

“Why not Haylen or Rhys? They’ve served under him far longer than I have.” she pointed out. 

 

“We did question them as well, they knew nothing. That just left you, many of your brothers and sisters mentioned you and he spent a great deal of time together. To make it worse, he’s gone AWOL. Since you know him best, I’ve decided to put you on this.” he said, far too calmly. 

 

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, and to swallow back the anger burning in her chest. She gave up, hanging her head. “What are my orders, sir?” 

 

Maxson cut through the rope holding her hands together, the pieces falling away. “Your orders are to track down Danse and execute him.” 

 

It felt like someone had punched her in the gut, all the air in the world couldn’t sate her empty lungs at that instant. So what? Because they spent time together she was just supposed to  _ know _ where to look for him? She should have to end his life because of what he  _ might _ be instead of what he fought for? What he had bled to live by? Well, as much as he claimed she knew him best, obviously Haylen would have a lead to follow. 

 

“Very well, sir. I’ll find him.” she mumbled. 

 

Pulling up her uniform, she shuffled out, her pace slow, steps uncomfortable, to say nothing of the lingering burning, stinging pain in her ass. She found Haylen hidden away in the bottom of the ship, too lost to think about the proper way to explain why she needed to know. 

 

“Scribe Haylen...where is he?” she asked. 

“Why? You’re not even going to hear his side, are you? You’re going to be a good dog and kill him just because someone  _ told you to?” _ she asked, barely controlling a sob. 

 

Of course she planned to hear him out, but at least here, she couldn’t just say that. “That’s right. Orders are orders. The Brotherhood dictates that synths be destroyed. I can’t let feelings get in the way of this.” she explained, trying to sound as cold as possible. 

 

There was no trace of the agony she was in, another trick she learned from working with the Railroad. Feeling was fine, but it was important to  _ act _ otherwise at times. Haylens hands shook, a fist racing towards her, nailing her in the lip. Kareena pressed her fingers to it, drawing back with blood on the tips. Perfectly reasonable. She couldn’t involve her too, but she expected worse. 

 

“If you could just tell me where you think he might be, I can be on my way.” she said. 

 

Haylen struck her again, her head tipping back slightly. Well, if nothing else, Danse couldn’t deny that his team was devoted, if the bruises she was getting on his behalf were any indication. The idea of pulling rank was adding insult to injury, and she hated resorting to it, but she had to act quickly. 

 

“Scribe Haylen, I don’t want to have to report you. This will go so much easier if you cooperate.” she pleaded. 

 

“Of course, ma’am.” she spat sarcastically. “I suspect he may be hiding out at Listening Post Bravo…” 

 

The deep reluctance in her tone said volumes of the sadness she felt. If they were anywhere else, she could have explained herself, could have told her what was really on her mind, but that was a luxury she couldn’t have. 

 

“I’m off then.” she said, offering no other words


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forewarning, I had plans for a kind of take on the peaceful ending. I took advantage of the Litany cut content here.

She knelt down, wincing uncomfortably. Defenses on the outside, he was expecting company. Taking out her gauss rifle, she took aim, firing carefully aimed shots, blowing the turrets up on impact. There was going to be more defenses in place, naturally, Danse was all about being defensible, no way he was just waiting to be taken out. Walking in, she kept her guard up just in case. Elevator was out, nothing she couldn’t fix, but then he wasn’t expecting her, couldn’t be. If he thought she’d seek him out, he would have employed further steps to prevent her from getting to him. Stepping out when the elevator stopped, she came face to face with a small group of Protectrons, peppering gunfire at them until they toppled over as well. If she felt like being less than cautious, she could just as well have hacked them, would have wasted less ammo, but this was important. She put her gun away, following the path to him, raising her hands up slowly.

 

“Danse…” she sighed. 

 

“It figures he’d send you, Kare…” he said, a sad smile on his face. 

 

She took a seat next to him, hanging her head. “Why didn’t you tell me...don’t you trust me?” 

 

Danse kneaded the back of his neck, shrugging. “I didn’t know. This whole time, I thought I was human. I never had a reason to believe otherwise…” 

 

“Elder Maxson ordered me to kill you.” she told him, pressing her palms together anxiously. 

 

“Well...I’m not going to fight back. Go ahead.” he said. 

 

Kareena bit her lip, tasting blood. “I can’t. I won’t.” sighing, she cradled her head, taking a deep, slow breath. “I’ve never hesitated to pull the trigger when there was no other options left to me. But you...I can’t do it. I don’t have it in me.” 

 

He gently drew her to him, mentally berating himself for not being worthy of touching her like this. He wasn’t human, she didn’t deserve filth like him touching her. “You have to. This is what the Brotherhood stands for, you know this. I know we’ve been...close, but you can’t let that cloud your judgment.” 

 

Kareena never let people see her cry, Danse did only once, but here, now, she couldn’t hold it back, couldn’t play tough anymore. She laid her head on his shoulder, sobbing openly, her tears hot on his skin. Skin that should never have existed. 

 

“I can’t. I mean it. Look...It’s past time you learn the truth.” she mumbled. “I woke up in that vault to find my mother’s cryo pod malfunctioned, she was gone. My baby brother, gone. My father took a bullet to the head. I avenged his death, and I found my brother. He’s gone from me too, he’s in charge of the Institute. I can’t convince him to come back. If I lose you too...I couldn’t...couldn’t handle it. It’s not just me, either. Haylen decked me twice on the way out. People care about you, you’ve affected lives…” 

 

“Your brother…” he mumbled.

 

“Probably had a hand in your creation. If you hate me, I understand. That doesn’t change the fact that I won’t pull the trigger on you.” she said. 

 

He lifted her face, looking her over. Her lip split, bruised around her mouth, her eye blacking. His thumb traced the marks left on her throat, brows lowering sympathetically. “These are new...what happened?” 

 

She shrugged, staring at her boots. “Maxson wanted to make sure I didn’t know you were a synth. Don’t worry about me. There’s gotta be another option here.” 

 

Danse frowned, moving to stand up, reaching out for her hand. He dropped his holotags into her palm, nodding once. “There’s been a change of plans. There is a way out of this, I didn’t want to resort to it, didn’t want to upset things in the middle of an important mission, but this…” 

 

He followed her out, promising to explain when they got to the Prydwyn. Just outside, however, Elder Maxson stood there, arms crossed. She returned her focus to the ground, taking a step back. Her mind blanked, hearing them talking, but not what they were saying, the first time she could recall anxiety hitting her, at least this strongly. She saw the glint off a gun and she instinctively moved in front of Danse, her arms out. 

 

“If you want him, you have to go through me. Danse once told me that being in the Brotherhood meant having people willing to give their lives for mine. I won’t let you take him out like this.” she challenged. 

 

“So you choose mutiny? Can’t say I’m not disappointed. Perhaps I wasn’t tough enough with you.” he mused. 

 

Danse gently pushed her aside, smiling confidently to her. “Do you accept my challenge or not, Arthur?” 

 

He raised his gun once more, taking aim. “I do.” 

 

Kareena had no idea where to look, a cloud of smoke rising between them, too dense to see. When the dust settled, Maxson was down, whatever that meant. Danse looked miserable for just a moment, reminded of her presence. He gently pulled her closer, looking her over properly in the light, watching her flinch away from his touch in places. “I’m sorry. Because of me, you were hurt. It shouldn’t have come to that, but...I can’t deny I’m happy to know you cared enough to stand up for me like that.” 

 

She nodded once, shrugging a single shoulder. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Question is...what happens now?” 

 

He pointed to the vertibird. “Now...we go back. Can’t promise this will go well, but we’ll have to see when we get there.” 

 

She stepped in, taking a seat, sitting at an awkward angle. “If this goes poorly...It’s been an honor. I just...wanted to tell you...I’ve enjoyed spending time with you.” 

He smiled, setting the course for the Prydwyn. “Hope you still feel that way. I’m hoping you’ll take his place. As the new Elder of the Brotherhood.” 

 

“Danse...I’m not as experienced as you, it should be you…” she said. 

 

“I’m a synth. At the end of the day, I still represent what the Brotherhood stands against. I’ve taught you everything I know, you’re ready.” he assured her. 

 

With the vertibird on autopilot, he moved to sit by her, reaching for her hand, giving it a light squeeze. “I’ll be by you every step of the way, I’m not going to let you wander out here alone.” 

 

“If you’re sure it’s alright...at the very least, Haylen will be happy to see you.” she mumbled. 

 

He tipped her head towards him slightly, mindful of her pain. Leaning in, he kissed her gently, a faint blush crawling on his face. “I don’t know if you could ever feel the same about me, but...you were honest with me, it’s time I’m honest with you.” 

 

“Should I be worried?” she asked. 

 

“I’m...not sure…” he began. “I...ughhh…” he stopped, trying to plot out his words carefully. “I’ve been in love with you for a while. I wasn’t sure at first, but then...I couldn’t really ignore it. It’s fine if you don’t feel the same, I just...wanted you to know.” 

 

Kareena snuck another quick kiss moments before docking. “I don’t care what you are. Human or Synth, that doesn’t change a thing in my mind. There’ll be time to figure this out, assuming this isn’t where we die.” 

 

“Shall we find out?” he asked, unable to hold back a grin. 

 

Patting her hip, she shrugged. “Well, I’m not going down easy. Let’s hope for a peaceful resolution. If this goes well, I’m  _ insisting  _ on a break. Today has just been one big emotional rollercoaster.” 

 

He cocked his head curiously. “Not to ruin the moment, but what’s a rollercoaster?” 

 

“Big metal thing. Runs on a set track, sometimes it goes upside down, or side to side, big drops, steep climbs, goes really really fast. Some people like it, some cry, some scream. Good times for everyone.” she summarized. 

 

“That sounds dangerous.” he said. 

 

“Can be. Heard someone got their head knocked off once. Might have been a rumor.” she said, pushing the door open, walking in single file, with Danse taking the lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kareena inadvertantly isn't very direct with her feelings, apparently. I'm thinking of treating this like the game does with multiple relationships, where it's fine as long as you don't flirt with anyone in front of who you're already dating. That just seems like good manners though. Don't smash in front of your bae. Do that in private.


End file.
